Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, a Democrat, and his wife, Nadine, are seeking separate trials in a New York court regarding bribery charges that they both face. The charges, filed in the fall, allege that they assisted three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for cash, gold bars, and a luxury car. All parties involved, including the couple and the businessmen, have pleaded not guilty.
Nadine Menendez’s legal team submitted a request for separate trials, citing concerns that Senator Menendez might testify during the trial scheduled for May and potentially reveal confidential marital communications that she wishes to remain private.
In response, Bob Menendez’s lawyers argued that separate trials are necessary to prevent the senator from disclosing marital communications during cross-examination that could be detrimental to his wife’s defense. They emphasized that this approach safeguards both his right to testify in his own defense and his right not to testify against his spouse.
The requests for separate trials were part of various pre-trial submissions made by the defendants’ legal teams.
Earlier, Senator Menendez’s lawyers had requested the dismissal of charges in the case, which they reiterated on Monday, describing the charges as a “distortion of the truth.” They asserted that the senator is not just “not guilty” but entirely innocent of the charges. They maintained that he has never misused his authority or sold his office for personal financial gain.
Since the initial charges were brought against Senator Menendez in September, he has had to step down from his influential role leading the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Additional bribery charges were later added, accusing him of conspiring with his wife and one businessman to covertly advance Egypt’s interests and favorably influence Qatar’s government to benefit another businessman.
The senator’s legal team criticized the indictment, claiming it distorts or disregards evidence supporting Senator Menendez’s actions in favor of American interests and his history of serving his constituents appropriately. They also accused the government of withholding evidence that would exonerate him and undermining their case with a misleading narrative in the media.
Furthermore, the lawyers argued that the trial should not be held in New York since the alleged events primarily transpired in New Jersey or outside New York, contending that the case belongs in New Jersey. They referenced Senator Menendez’s previous acquittal in a corruption case in New Jersey, where a substantial number of jurors voted to acquit him on the government’s corruption charges.
Prosecutors declined to comment on these developments, with their responses to the pre-trial motions expected to be submitted in the coming weeks.
