Nadine Menendez, wife of former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, was found guilty on Monday of collaborating with her husband to accept bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and a luxury vehicle from three businessmen in New Jersey seeking assistance with their business ventures or legal issues. The verdict was delivered by a jury in the federal courthouse in Manhattan, where Bob Menendez was similarly convicted on several charges last year. The former senator, a Democrat, is set to begin an 11-year prison term in June, while Nadine Menendez’s sentencing is scheduled for June 12, just days after her husband’s incarceration begins.
During the three-week trial, evidence highlighted the couple’s relationship, which began in early 2018 and persisted even after criminal charges were filed against them in September 2023. Prosecutors consistently portrayed them as “partners in crime.” In a 2022 raid of their Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey residence, FBI agents discovered approximately $150,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in cash concealed in boots, shoeboxes, and jackets. A Mercedes-Benz convertible, allegedly a bribe, was also found in their garage. Both Nadine and Bob Menendez have maintained their innocence, denying any involvement in bribery.
Originally, the Menendezes were to stand trial together with the three businessmen, but Nadine’s trial was delayed due to her breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery. Bob Menendez, now 71, resigned from the Senate last August after his conviction. Prior to the charges, he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Prosecutors accused Nadine Menendez of initiating bribes to the senator shortly after they began dating, before their marriage in the fall of 2020. At the time, she was at risk of losing her New Jersey home due to nearly $20,000 in missed mortgage payments. A friend, Wael Hana, provided funds to save her home, which prosecutors claimed led to the senator assisting Hana in maintaining a business monopoly with the Egyptian government. Additionally, Nadine Menendez required a new vehicle after her previous car was destroyed in an accident that resulted in a pedestrian’s death, for which she faced no charges. Prosecutors alleged that businessman Jose Uribe gifted her a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for Bob Menendez leveraging his influence to halt an investigation into Uribe’s associates by the New Jersey attorney general’s office.
Further allegations involved Fred Daibes, a prominent real estate developer, who prosecutors claimed paid the couple additional cash and gold bribes to gain the senator’s protection in a New Jersey criminal case. Bob Menendez was also accused of helping Daibes secure a $95 million investment from a Qatari investment fund. Prosecutors emphasized Nadine Menendez’s pivotal role in facilitating communication between the senator and the businessmen, as well as with Egyptian government officials. Bob Menendez faced additional charges of acting as an agent for the Egyptian government. In return for some bribes, he allegedly drafted a letter for Egyptian officials to distribute to fellow senators, aiming to alleviate their concerns about human rights abuses and promote the release of $300 million in military aid.
Nadine Menendez’s defense attorney argued that the evidence presented was insufficient for a conviction, asserting that the senator’s interactions with the businessmen reflected typical political responsibilities to constituents. In contrast, the prosecution described the evidence against her as “consistent and overwhelming.” Among the co-defendants, Uribe pleaded guilty and testified against the others, while Hana and Daibes were convicted alongside the senator. Hana received an eight-year prison sentence, and Daibes was sentenced to seven years in prison.
