Federal corruption trial of Nadine Menendez delayed indefinitely due to breast cancer treatment

By Rittwik Naskar
Published on : 00:46 PST, Jul 17, 2024

Federal corruption trial of convicted NJ senator's wife Nadine Menendez delayed indefinitely due to breast cancer treatment

The federal corruption trial of Sen Bob Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, has been adjourned indefinitely by a judge in a brief ruling on Tuesday morning (Getty Images)

MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: The federal corruption trial of Sen Bob Menendez's wife, Nadine Menendez, came to an indefinite halt after a judge postponed the proceedings, just hours before the 70-year-old embattled New Jersey Democrat was found guilty of involvement in a bribery scheme accepting gold bars, cash, and other bribes, according to the New York Post.

Judge Sidney Stein issued a brief ruling on Tuesday morning, stating that it was in the interest of “the ends of justice” to adjourn Nadine Menendez's trial, which was originally scheduled to take place later this year.

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 bribes of gold bars, a luxury car and cash in exchange for using Menendez's position to help the government of Egypt and other corrupt acts according to an indictment from SDNY unsealed on Friday. The indictment is the second in eight years against Menendez. The indictment also includes charges for Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) — Sen Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine are involved in a federal corruption trial in the Manhattan Federal Court on bribery charges (Michael M Santiago/Getty Images)

The judge did not give a specific reason for the decision but made it after a court filing from Nadine's lawyer in June, which outlined her ongoing "intense, chronic pain" following surgery that involved "medical equipment [being] implanted in her body" due to her breast cancer treatment.

What prompted Judge Sidney Stein to adjourn the trial of Nadine Menendez?

In May, Garden State Sen Bob Menendez announced that his wife was undergoing treatment for "Grade 3 breast cancer" and would require a mastectomy.

According to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, Nadine Menendez was involved in a conspiracy that included the exchange of gold bars, cash, and a luxury car with corrupt New Jersey businessmen, as well as officials from Egypt and Qatar.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 11: Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Menendez depart a Manhattan court following an arraignment on new charges in the federal bribery case against them on March 11, 2024 in New York City. Menendez and his wife are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car and cash in exchange for using Menendez's position to help the government of Egypt and other corrupt acts according to an indictment from SDNY. The indictment is the second in eight years against Menendez. The indictment also includes charges for Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) — Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Menendez are accused of taking bribes of gold bars, a luxury car and cash in exchange for using Menendez's position to help the foreign governments of Egypt, Qatar, and other corrupt acts involving New Jersey businessmen (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

In a joint statement, the senator's attorneys, Avi Weitzman and Adam Fee emphasized that Menendez's “highest priority is his wife’s health, and we are pleased that she is being given the time she needs to focus on treatment and recovery.”

Throughout the course of the federal corruption trial, Menendez's lawyers presented a defense strategy that sought to place blame on Nadine, suggesting to the jury that she had concealed her actions from her influential spouse and was responsible for soliciting the alleged bribes from his co-defendants.

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Arslanian on May 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) — Nadine Menendez, who married Garden State Sen Bob Menendez in 2020, had her trial delayed indefinitely as she recovers from breast cancer surgery (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The jury's verdict, convicting Sen Bob Menendez on all 16 felony charges, indicates that they did not accept the defense's assertion regarding the origin of the gold bars and other illicit gifts discovered by FBI agents in the couple's bedroom.

Nadine's attorney, Barry Coburn, declined to provide a comment on Tuesday.

Despite being present with her husband during prior court proceedings, including one where she carried a Chanel handbag to the defense table, Nadine did not attend his trial.

Share this article: Federal corruption trial of Nadine Menendez delayed indefinitely due to breast cancer treatment