Nadine Menendez's bribery trial begins today in New Jersey

Jury selection began on Tuesday in the bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez. Nadine, 58, was originally set to go to trial last year alongside her husband, but a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery delayed proceedings. She has pleaded not guilty to charges connected to the same bribery scheme that led to her husband's conviction. Bob Menendez, 71, was sentenced to 11 years in prison earlier this year. He was found guilty of accepting bribes from three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for various favors, including using his influence to assist them with foreign governments. He was also convicted of acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. Bob is scheduled to begin serving his sentence on June 6. After the charges were filed against him in the fall of 2023, Bob Menendez had to resign from his powerful role as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and he eventually stepped down from the Senate. During his trial, Nadine was frequently mentioned due to her connections with the businessmen involved. One businessman testified that he purchased a luxury car for Nadine after Bob attempted to influence New Jersey prosecutors regarding a criminal investigation linked to the businessman’s associate. In 2022, FBI agents searched the couple's home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, where they discovered more than $100,000 in gold bars and over $480,000 in cash hidden in various places. Bob Menendez claimed the gold belonged to his wife and that the cash was a result of his family's history of hiding money after fleeing Cuba in 1951.