Nadine Menendez, the spouse of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was convicted of teaming up together with her husband to just accept bribes of money, gold bars and a luxurious automobile from three New Jersey males searching for assist with their enterprise dealings or authorized troubles.
The jury returned a verdict of responsible on all counts in the identical federal courthouse in Manhattan the place a special jury convicted Bob Menendez of most of the similar costs final 12 months. The Democrat is meant to start serving an 11-year jail time period in June.
Nadine Menendez, who stood however didn’t seem to react as the decision was delivered by the jury foreperson, was scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, six days after her husband is predicted to report back to jail.
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Exterior the courthouse, she wore a pink masks as she stood subsequent to her lawyer, Barry Coburn, mentioned he was “devastated by the decision.”
“We fought laborious and it hurts,” he mentioned. “It is a very tough day for us.”
Prosecutors argued they had been ‘companions in crime’
The proof proven to jurors over a three-week trial adopted the timeline of the whirlwind romance between the couple that started in early 2018 and continued after prison costs had been introduced in opposition to them in September 2023. Repeatedly throughout the trial, prosecutors mentioned they had been “companions in crime.”
Throughout a 2022 raid on the couple’s Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, dwelling, FBI brokers discovered practically $150,000 value of gold bars and $480,000 in money stuffed in boots, shoeboxes and jackets. Within the storage was a Mercedes-Benz convertible, additionally an alleged bribe.
Each Nadine and Bob Menendez mentioned they’re harmless and by no means took bribes.
Initially, they had been to be tried collectively, together with the three businessmen, however Nadine Menendez’s trial was postponed a 12 months in the past after she was recognized with breast most cancers and underwent surgical procedure.
Bob Menendez resigned from Senate in August following conviction
Bob Menendez, 71, resigned from the Senate final August following his conviction. Earlier than the costs had been introduced he had been chairman of the highly effective Senate International Relations Committee.
Prosecutors accused Nadine Menendez of beginning to facilitating bribes to the senator across the time that they started courting, earlier than they married within the fall of 2020.
On the time, she was in peril of shedding her dwelling in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, after lacking practically $20,000 in mortgage funds, trial testimony confirmed. A longtime good friend, Wael Hana, offered money to save lots of the house — and prosecutors mentioned that in return, the senator started serving to Hana protect a enterprise monopoly he had organized with the Egyptian authorities to certify that imported meat met spiritual necessities.
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Nadine Menendez additionally wanted a brand new automobile after her outdated one was destroyed when she struck and killed a person crossing a road. (She didn’t face costs within the crash). Prosecutors mentioned a businessman, Jose Uribe, gave her a Mercedes-Benz, and in return Bob Menendez used his clout to strain the New Jersey lawyer normal’s workplace to stop investigating some of Uribe’s associates.
Prosecutor mentioned extra cash and gold bribes had been paid to the couple by Fred Daibes, a outstanding actual property developer who prosecutors mentioned wished the senator to guard him from a prison case he was dealing with in New Jersey. Prosecutors mentioned Bob Menendez additionally helped Daibes safe a $95 million funding from a Qatari funding fund.
Nadine Menendez was described by prosecutors as essential to the scheme
Nadine Menendez, 58, was described by prosecutors at her trial as essential to the scheme, enabling the senator to speak with the businessmen and Egyptian authorities officers.
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Apart from his conviction on bribery costs, Bob Menendez additionally was convicted of performing as an agent for the Egyptian authorities. Prosecutors mentioned that in return for a number of the bribes, he ghostwrote a letter for Egyptian officers to provide to his fellow senators to calm their considerations about human rights abuses and encourage them to carry a maintain on $300 million in army help.
Coburn had argued throughout his closing arguments to the jury that the proof was inadequate for a conviction.
“These items we’re speaking about listed below are unproven,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the dealings the senator had with the businessmen had been simply what a politician is meant to do for his constituents.
In a rebuttal argument , Assistant U.S. Lawyer Daniel Richenthal urged the jury to convict Nadine Menendez, calling the proof in opposition to her “constant and overwhelming.”
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Uribe pleaded responsible and testified in opposition to the others. Hana and Dabies had been convicted together with the senator. Hana has been sentenced to eight years in jail whereas Daibes acquired seven years behind bars.
Performing U.S. Lawyer Matthew Podolsky mentioned in an announcement that the decision “sends the clear message that the ability of presidency officers will not be put up on the market and that each one those that facilitate corruption will probably be held accountable for his or her actions.”
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