Spouse hid cash troubles, his legal professional says
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., arrives at federal courtroom in New York Metropolis for his bribery trial in reference to an alleged corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen, Could 14, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Sen. Robert Menendez’s spouse and co-defendant, Nadine Menendez, was hiding her monetary troubles from her husband, a protection legal professional for the New Jersey Democrat advised jurors Wednesday in his federal corruption trial.
Nadine Menendez “stored Bob sidelined” from her discussions about her cash issues, legal professional Avi Weitzman stated in a gap assertion that at occasions appeared to defend the senator by casting blame on his partner.
Weitzman advised the jury that gold bars — which have been seized in an FBI search of Menendez’s residence and held up by prosecutors as proof that he took years of bribes — have been present in “Nadine’s closet.”
The senator, stated Weitzman, had no key to that closet and no data that his spouse had obtained any gold bars from Fred Daibes, one among two businessmen standing trial alongside Menendez in Manhattan federal courtroom.
Fairly, Menendez thought it was “household gold,” Weitzman stated, as he insisted that the once-powerful senator “took no bribes.”
The protection legal professional addressed the 12-person jury after a federal prosecutor advised them that Menendez “put his energy up on the market” and “used his spouse as a go-between.”
Menendez, 70, was “on the take” and “motivated by greed,” U.S. Lawyer Laura Pomerantz stated in a gap assertion for the prosecution.
“This was not politics as traditional,” Pomerantz stated. “This was politics for revenue.”
Menendez, Nadine Menendez, Daibes and Wael Hana, a second New Jersey businessman, are charged within the sprawling case alleging that the senator illegally took tons of of hundreds of {dollars}’ price of gold, money and different presents in change for official acts.
Menendez, who till the indictment served as chair of the Senate Overseas Relations Committee, and his spouse are accused of utilizing his political energy to attempt to enrich the businessmen and profit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
The trial for Menendez, Daibes and Hana started Monday. Nadine Menendez’s trial was severed from her co-defendants’ because of medical points, and will likely be held at a later date. The senator’s spouse has not appeared with him in courtroom.
A 3rd New Jersey businessman charged within the case, Jose Uribe, pleaded responsible in March and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. He’ll testify as a witness for the prosecution, Pomerantz advised the jury.
The opening statements started Wednesday afternoon, shortly after prosecutors and protection attorneys chosen a full jury of six males and 6 girls, plus six alternate jurors.
Decide Sidney Stein dismissed the the jury after Weitzman’s prolonged introduction, which lasted over an hour. Attorneys for Hana and Daibes are set to ship their opening statements Thursday.
The trial may final seven weeks or extra.
Jury choice
Sen. Bob Menendez’s spouse, Nadine Menendez, departs Manhattan federal courtroom, in New York Metropolis, Oct. 2, 2023.
David Dee Delgado | Getty Pictures
The 18-person jury was chosen behind closed doorways, after two plodding trial days handed with out a single juror being seated.
These days have been largely consumed by a prolonged strategy of individually questioning anybody who stated they might not function a juror.
Dozens of individuals within the courtroom had raised their juror playing cards to doubtlessly disqualify themselves from the trial.
By Tuesday night, Stein had whittled down by half the pool of potential jurors, to 75.
Stein then started questioning particular person jurors in open courtroom about their occupations, households, residing conditions, media habits, hobbies and pursuits.
Fred Daibes arrives at federal courtroom for his bribery trial in reference to U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., in New York Metropolis, Could 14, 2024.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
Potential jurors recognized themselves solely by their assigned numbers however often gave extremely private solutions.
Considered one of them, a self-described podcast “junkie,” stated she has referred to as into the discuss present of New York Metropolis public radio veteran Brian Lehrer “1,000,000 occasions.”
“He is aware of my voice,” the girl added.
One other would-be juror advised the decide that he lives alone and that his spouse and son lately died.
Wael Hana, a co-defendant of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., arrives at federal courtroom in New York, Could 13, 2024.
Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures
A person who works as an legal professional for a financial institution advised Stein that he had beforehand contributed to Menendez’s political marketing campaign.
The donation was made after a request by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, in keeping with the person, who stated he had made “dozens” of comparable contributions through the years.
AIPAC endorsed Menendez in January, two months earlier than the senator introduced he wouldn’t enter the Democratic primary in a reelection bid however left the door open to run as an unbiased.
Correction: This text has been up to date to mirror the right spelling of Wael Hana’s title.
