A jury commenced deliberations in the bribery case against Nadine Menendez, accused of participating in a five-year fraudulent scheme alongside her husband, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. The deliberations began mid-afternoon at a federal court in Manhattan. Nadine Menendez, 58, resides in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Bob Menendez, 71, a Democrat from New Jersey, is set to begin an 11-year prison sentence in June following his conviction. He resigned from his Senate position after being found guilty last year. Barry Coburn, representing Nadine Menendez, argued on Thursday that the evidence presented was insufficient for a conviction.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal, in a rebuttal on Friday morning, urged the jury to convict Nadine Menendez. He highlighted the discovery of over $450,000 in cash and gold bars worth significantly more in their home, suggesting they were bribes rather than gifts. He characterized the evidence as “consistent and overwhelming,” portraying Nadine Menendez as a “critical participant” in the scheme.
Nadine Menendez, born in Lebanon of Armenian descent and formerly known as Nadine Arslanian, began dating the senator in early 2018. According to prosecutors, she became involved in a bribery scheme with three New Jersey businessmen shortly thereafter. The couple married in the fall of 2020.
Bob Menendez, who began his Senate career in 2006, orchestrated the bribery scheme while holding key positions on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, from which he was ousted following the charges.
