The wife of former US Senator Robert Menendez has been sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for aiding her husband in a bribery scheme involving stacks of cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz.
Nadine Menendez, 58, was convicted in April of 15 counts, including bribery, after jurors found she acted as a conduit for her husband and Egyptian officials, relaying messages and arranging meetings.
I put my life in his hands and he strung me like a puppet, she told the judge, sobbing, before her sentencing on Thursday.
Her husband was convicted last year and sentenced to 11 years for the scheme that also led to his political downfall. Prosecutors had described her as indispensable to the plot.
On Thursday morning, Menendez wept as she addressed the judge. I now know, he's not my saviour. He's not the man I thought he was, she expressed, reflecting on her husband's powerful position and erroneous trust in his decision-making.
During the time of the bribery, Robert Menendez was the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, giving him significant influence over US foreign policy. The couple was accused of exploiting this position to secretly aid Egyptian government interests.
Prosecutors sought a sentence of at least seven years for Nadine Menendez, but District Judge Sidney H Stein instead sentenced her to 54 months, emphasizing the need for consequences to deter similar crimes. The judge also allowed her prison term to be postponed until July 2026 to accommodate her medical needs following a breast cancer diagnosis.
A search of the couple's New Jersey home in 2022 uncovered over $100,000 worth of gold bars and significant amounts of cash. This evidence, along with incriminating text messages and a Google search by the senator regarding gold prices, reinforced their involvement in the scheme.
Two other associates, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, were also convicted for their roles, and a third party, insurance broker Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to related charges.
