Nadine Menendez bribery case goes to jury as deliberations set to resume Monday
Nadine Memendez trial begins
Lawyers gave opening statements Monday in the trial of Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who was convicted last year of accepting bribes of cash and gold.
NEW YORK (AP) - A Manhattan federal jury will continue deliberations Monday in the bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez. The jury began its work Friday but ended the day without a verdict.
What we know:
Nadine Menendez, 58, of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, is facing federal bribery charges connected to a five-year scheme allegedly involving her husband, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, and three New Jersey businessmen.
Deliberations began Friday afternoon in Manhattan federal court and concluded nearly two hours later without a decision. Jurors are expected to resume discussions Monday.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 27: Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine arrive for a court appearance at Manhattan Federal Court on September 27, 2023 in New York City. Menendez and his wife, who face bribery charges, are accused of taking br
Prosecutors allege that Menendez was an "active participant, a critical participant" in the bribery scheme, which they claim involved gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash found in the couple’s home.
During closing arguments Thursday, defense attorney Barry Coburn told jurors that the evidence presented during trial was not sufficient to convict Nadine Menendez.
On Friday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal delivered the government’s rebuttal, urging jurors to reject the defense’s claim and convict her.
"They weren’t gifts," Richenthal said of the cash and gold recovered by the FBI. "They were bribes."
The backstory:
Bob Menendez, 71, is to report to prison in June to begin an 11-year sentence. He was convicted last year of bribery charges at a trial that was supposed to include his wife. But Nadine Menendez's lawyers secured a postponement after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and required surgery.
Sen. Bob Menendez leaves Federal Court in lower Manhattan on the first full day of jury deliberation in his bribery trial on July 15, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Andrea Renault/Star Max/GC Images)
Born in Lebanon of Armenian descent, Nadine Menendez began dating the senator in early 2018 when she was known as Nadine Arslanian. Prosecutors said she soon joined a bribery scheme involving at least one businessman she had known for years separately from her soon-to-be husband. They were married in the fall of 2020.
What's next:
Jury deliberations are expected to resume Monday in federal court.