Prosecutors are seeking a minimum of seven years in prison for Nadine Menendez, the wife of former Senator Bob Menendez, due to her involvement in a bribery scheme that resulted in her husband’s 11-year prison sentence.
In a court document filed on Tuesday, they argued that Nadine played a significant role in the illegal activities alongside her husband, a Democrat from New Jersey.
“The Government considers the defendant, who played a critical role at the heart of the scheme, to be the second most culpable member of the scheme second only to [Bob] Menendez,” federal prosecutors stated in a detailed sentencing memorandum.
In April, Nadine was found guilty of several federal offenses, including bribery, honest-services wire fraud, conspiracy, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction of justice, with convictions on all 15 counts against her.
Officials proposed that her prison term should align with the sentences given to two businessmen convicted for making the bribes—Fred Daibes received seven years, while Wael Hana got eight years.
In contrast, Nadine’s defense team claimed she has endured “a lifetime of trauma,” mentioning her battle with cancer and her upbringing in war-torn Lebanon, suggesting a sentence of just one year and one day.
They further argued that a longer sentence would severely limit her access to necessary cancer treatment, asserting that the Federal Bureau of Prisons lacks adequate resources for her needs.
“Nadine is not her husband, or her co-defendants,” her lawyers emphasized. “Despite all of the Government’s efforts to portray her as a vixen, the truth is quite different.”
Both Bob Menendez and Nadine continue to plead “not guilty” of bribery. The former senator is currently serving his sentence at a minimum-security federal facility in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, following his conviction on all 16 charges against him.
Nadine’s sentencing is scheduled for September 11.
