Former Senator’s Wife, Nadine Menendez, Found Guilty of Bribery Scheme
TL/DR –
Nadine Menendez, wife of ex-US Senator Bob Menendez, has been found guilty of joining her husband in accepting bribes from three businessmen seeking aide in their business and legal issues, including cash, gold bars, and a luxury car. The bribes were allegedly facilitated by Nadine starting from when she began dating the ex-senator, with payments made to her in return for Bob Menendez’s assistance in various business and legal interests. Bob Menendez was convicted of similar charges last year and is due to begin his 11-year prison term in June, with Nadine’s sentencing set to follow a week later.
Nadine Menendez Convicted of Bribery alongside Ex-Senator Husband
Nadine Menendez, wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, has been found guilty of accepting bribes involving cash, gold bars, and a luxury car from three New Jersey businessmen seeking their business and legal assistance. The same U.S. Manhattan courthouse convicted her husband, Bob Menendez, of similar charges last year. The Senator is slated to start an 11-year prison sentence in June.
READ MORE: Former Sen. Bob Menendez receives 11-year prison sentence for bribery conviction
A three-week trial revealed the timeline of the couple’s relationship beginning in early 2018. They were identified as “partners in crime” by prosecutors during the trial. An FBI raid on their New Jersey home in 2022 revealed $150,000 worth of gold bars and $480,000 in cash hidden away.
Both Menendez spouses maintain their innocence, claiming they never accepted bribes. Nadine Menendez’s trial was delayed a year ago after her cancer diagnosis. Bob Menendez, 71, resigned from the Senate in August following his conviction.
READ MORE: Prosecutor says Sen. Menendez’s response to bribes was ‘wildly abnormal’
Nadine Menendez was accused of starting to facilitate bribes to the senator around their dating phase. She was facing a potential loss of her home in Englewood Cliffs. Prosecutors argued business favours were exchanged with a longtime friend, Wael Hana, who helped save her home.
Prosecutors also alleged that a businessman, Jose Uribe, gave Nadine Menendez a Mercedes-Benz after a crash, and in return, Bob Menendez exerted his influence to stop investigations on some of Uribe’s associates. Further bribery allegations involve real estate developer Fred Daibes, who supposedly sought the senator’s protection from a criminal case.
Nadine Menendez was described as crucial to the bribery scheme by prosecutors at her trial, allowing the senator to liaise with the businessmen and Egyptian government officials.
Bob Menendez was also convicted of acting as an agent for the Egyptian government. Some of the bribes were apparently in return for a letter he wrote for Egyptian officials to allay concerns of fellow senators about human rights abuses.
Nadine Menendez’s lawyer, Barry Coburn, claimed the evidence was insufficient for a conviction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal rebutted, insisting the evidence against her was “consistent and overwhelming”. Uribe has pled guilty and testified against the rest. Hana and Dabies were convicted alongside the senator, receiving eight years and seven years in prison, respectively.
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