Senator Bob Menendez may attempt to shift blame onto his wife in his upcoming bribery trial in May, as revealed in court documents unsealed on Tuesday. According to the unsealed passages, Menendez’s lawyers plan to argue that he was unaware of any illegal activities related to his wife’s dealings with New Jersey businessmen. They suggest that Menendez may testify about exculpatory communications with his wife, Nadine, to demonstrate his lack of intent to commit any crimes. The lawyers also indicated that they may need to argue at trial that any criminal actions were carried out by others, including his wife, rather than the senator himself.
The lawyers for Menendez initially sought to have the trials of the senator and his wife severed, but this motion was denied. However, the trials have since been allowed to proceed separately after it was revealed that Nadine Menendez requires surgery in the next six weeks, causing a delay in her trial until at least July. The couple, along with two businessmen, have pleaded not guilty to charges of participating in a bribery scheme where cash and gold bars were allegedly exchanged for political favors by the senator. Menendez resigned from his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in September due to the allegations.
A third businessman, Jose Uribe, has already pleaded guilty to bribery charges and agreed to testify against the others at trial. Uribe claimed that he conspired with Nadine Menendez and others to provide her with a Mercedes-Benz in return for access to her husband’s power and influence. The indictment against the Menendezes alleges that they accepted bribes to help the businessmen secure lucrative deals, including a meat-certification deal with Egypt and a deal with a Qatari investment fund. The unsealed passages in the court filing were made public after media organizations, including NBCUniversal Media and The Associated Press, argued that the public’s right to transparency outweighed the concerns of Menendez’s attorneys.
The case against Senator Menendez and his wife highlights the complex legal strategy being crafted by the defense team as they prepare for the upcoming trial. By potentially shifting blame onto his wife, Menendez may be seeking to present himself as a victim of her actions rather than a willing participant in any criminal activity. The delay in Nadine Menendez’s trial due to her medical condition adds another layer of complexity to the legal proceedings, as the two trials are now set to proceed separately. The involvement of a cooperating witness like Jose Uribe, who has already admitted to his role in the bribery scheme, could also impact the outcome of the trials and potentially provide valuable testimony against the defendants.
