New York – Nadine Menendezthe wife of the former USA Senator Bob MenendezShe was convicted on Monday for cooperation with her husband to accept cash bribes, a gold and luxurious car from three men from New Jersey, seeking assist in business transactions or legal problems.
The jury gave the verdict of guilt in every respect in the same federal court in Manhattan, where other jury sentenced Bob Menendez about many of the same allegations last year. Democrat is to start taking an 11-year prison term in June.
Nadine Menendez, which stood, but did not seem to react when the verdict was published by the jury of pre -person, was to be convicted on June 12, six days after her husband was to report to prison.
»Read more: Former senator New Jersey Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 years in prison for bribery
Outside the court, she wore a pink mask when she stood next to her lawyer Barry Coburn, she said he was “devastated by the verdict.”
“We fought hard and it hurts,” he said. “It’s a very difficult day for us.”
Evidence showed to the jury during the three -week trial took place after the schedule of a spin affair between the couple, which began at the beginning of 2018 and lasted after penalty charges in September 2023. Many times during the trial prosecutors found that they were “partners in crime.”
During the raid for 2022 on the pairs of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, house, FBI agents found almost $ 150,000 and $ 480,000 in cash stuffed shoes, shoes and jackets. There was a Mercedes-Benz convertible in the garage, also a supposed bribe.
Both Nadine and Bob Menendez said they were innocent and never took bribes.
Initially, they were to be tried together with three businessmen, but the Nadine Menendez study was postponed a year ago after diagnosing breast cancer and underwent surgery.
71 -year -old Bob Menendez gave up the Senate in August last year after his belief. Before bringing the charges, he was the chairman of the powerful committee for foreign relations of the Senate.
Prosecutors accused Nadine Menendez of making it easier for the bribe Senator when they began to meet before they got married in autumn 2020.
At that time, she threatened to lose a house at Englewood Cliffs in New Jersey, after almost USD 20,000 was missing in the mortgage repayment, as the procedural testimonies show. A longtime friend, Wael Hana, assured cash to save the house – and prosecutors said that in return the senator began to assist Han to preserve the business monopoly, which he organized with the Egyptian government in order to certify this imported meat of the religious requirement.
Nadine Menendez also needed a modern car after destroying her elderly, when she hit and killed a man crossing the street. (She did not face the accusation in the disaster). Prosecutors said that the businessman, Jose Uribe, gave her Mercedes-Benz, and in exchange Bob Menendez used his strength to press the office of the Prosecutor General in New Jersey to stop studying some Uribe colleagues.
The prosecutor said that Fred Daibes was paid more cash and golden bribes of Fred Daibes, an outstanding real estate developer who wanted the senator to protect him from the criminal case with which he stood in New Jersey. Prosecutors said that Bob Menendez also helped Daibes to provide an investment of $ 95 million from the Qatari investment fund.
58 -year -old Nadine Menendez was described by prosecutors during her trial as key for the program, enabling the senator to communicate with businessmen and Egyptian government officials.
In addition to beliefs of bribery, Bob Menendez was also convicted of acting as an agent of the Egyptian government. Prosecutors said that in exchange for some of the bribes, he deletes a letter for Egyptian officials to give his other senators to composed their fears about human rights abuse and encourage them to raise $ 300 million in military assistance.
Coburn argued during the closing arguments that the evidence was insufficient for the conviction.
“The things we are talking about here are unverified,” he said.
He said that the relationship that the senator had with businessmen was what a politician should do for his voters.
In the overthrow, deputy US prosecutor Daniel Richenthal called on the jury to convict Nadine Menendez, calling evidence against her “coherent and overwhelming”.
Uribe pleaded guilty and testified against others. Hana and Dabies were convicted of the senator. Hana was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Daibes got seven years behind bars.
The US prosecutor Matthew Podolsky said in a statement that the verdict “sends a clear message that the power of state officials cannot be put up for sale and that everyone who facilitates corruption will be responsible for their actions.”
