Bob Menendez and Wife in Legal Limbo: Corruption Cases Take Major Turn
The sentencing for former New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez who was convicted on federal corruption charges was delayed until next year on Monday, months after his wife’s trial was delayed indefinitely.
Menendez was scheduled to be sentenced on 16 criminal charges on October 29, but U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein rescheduled the sentencing for January 29 in a brief order on Monday.
The former senator was convicted in a federal corruption trial in July. He was accused of using his power and influence to unlawfully obtain lavish gifts from New Jersey businessmen.
The trial lasted nine weeks and the jury took three days to deliberate.
Menendez resigned from the Senate in August, but he has maintained his innocence. His legal team filed a motion to overturn the convictions and a motion for a new trial.
US Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, and his wife Nadine Menendez, arrive at the US District Court, Southern District of New York, in New York City on September 27, 2023. Robert Menendez’s sentencing was delayed until next year and Nadine Menendez’s trial is delayed indefinitely.
Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
Nadine Menendez, Robert Menendez’s wife, was also charged in the alleged criminal scheme. The alleged corruption began in 2018, around the time when Robert Menendez and Nadine Menendez started dating, according to prosecutors.
Lawyers for Robert Menendez claimed he was unaware of his wife’s dealings with the businessmen involved in the alleged scheme.
Nadine Menendez was originally scheduled to be tried alongside her husband, but her trial has now been delayed twice. The trial was first rescheduled to August.
“Nadine is suffering from Grade 3 breast cancer, which will require her to have mastectomy surgery. We are of course concerned about the seriousness and advanced stage of the disease,” Robert Menendez said in a statement in May.
Stein delayed the trial of Nadine Menendez for the second time in July.
“The trial of this matter is adjourned sine die,” Stein wrote in a ruling.
“Sine die” is the Latin term for “without a date.”
A pretrial conference in the case is scheduled for December 9. While no trial date has been set, Stein ordered Nadine Menendez’s attorney and the government to keep their calendars clear for January and February.
Robert Menendez’s Political Fall
Robert Menendez was first appointed to the Senate in January of 2006 after the seat was vacated by Jon Corzine, who was elected to be governor of New Jersey. Menendez was elected to a full six-year term in November of that year, then re-elected in 2012 and 2018.
The former senator was up for reelection in 2024. He originally filed to run as an independent in June before ending his candidacy in August.
George Helmy, a former chief of staff to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, filled the vacancy left by Robert Menendez’s resignation. He will serve until the certification of the upcoming general election on November 27.
Democratic nominee Rep. Andy Kim and Republican nominee and entrepreneur Curtis Bashaw are running for the seat in November’s election.
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