Trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of Bob Menendez, starts with jury selection
Nadine Menendez's federal corruption trial got underway Tuesday with jury selection in New York City. She faces 15 charges in a years-long bribery scheme involving her husband, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey.
She has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. Prosecutors say she allegedly made introductions to help establish corrupt agreements between New Jersey businessmen, the Egyptian government and her husband.
She walked into court with her two attorneys wearing a white blouse and a multi-colored scarf.
The judge told potential jurors the trial would take 8-9 weeks. He asked potential jurors is any of them would have a problem setting aside what they'd heard in the press. He also asked if the length of the trial would cause insurmountable hardship.
Two months ago, Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for similar charges in the case. The judge, however, allowed him to stay out of prison through the duration of Nadine's trial so he could provide emotional support, but the 72-year-old was not in court Tuesday as the judge began questioning a pool of potential jurors.
The couple is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for political favors that benefited themselves and the government of Egypt. The bribes included cash, gold bars and a Mercedes-Benz, according to the U.S. attorney.
During a search of their home, the FBI said it found more than $480,000 in cash stuffed in envelopes and hidden in various places, along with $70,000 in Nadine Menendez's safe deposit box.
"Somewhere along the way, you became, I'm sorry to say, a corrupt politician," U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein said at his sentencing.
Stein will also oversee Nadine Menendez's case. He was nominated by former President Bill Clinton.
Just a day before his wife's trial begins, the disgraced senator tagged President Trump in a social media post, saying she should be allowed to fully recover from a recent breast reconstructive surgery, calling the court's actions "cruel and inhumane." Nadine Menendez's case was delayed in the past to allow for her breast cancer treatment.
The same process for Bob Menendez's trial lasted nearly two days. He has vowed to appeal his conviction and must surrender to authorities on June 6.
Bob Menendez's attorneys have vowed to appeal his sentence.
