Deliberations begin at bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, wife of former US Sen. Bob Menendez

NEW YORK – A assemblage began deliberating connected Friday successful the bribery lawsuit brought against Nadine Menendez aft a authoritative told a assemblage that she was a “critical participant” successful a five-year fraud with her husband, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez.

The assemblage began considering the charges against the 58-year-old Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, nonmigratory successful mid-afternoon successful Manhattan national court.

Bob Menendez, 71, a New Jersey Democrat, is to study to situation successful June to statesman an 11-year sentence. He stepped down from his Senate station aft his condemnation past year.

During a closing statement Thursday, Nadine Menendez’s lawyer, Barry Coburn, argued that the grounds was insufficient to effect successful a conviction.

In a rebuttal statement connected Friday morning, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal urged the assemblage to convict Nadine Menendez, saying they would person to judge that implicit $450,000 successful currency and golden bars worthy hundreds of thousands of dollars much that were recovered by the FBI successful their location were gifts alternatively than bribes.

“They weren't gifts,” helium said. “They were bribes.”

He called the grounds against her “consistent and overwhelming” and described her arsenic an “active participant, a captious participant” successful the bribery scheme.

Born successful Lebanon of Armenian descent, Nadine Menendez began dating the legislator successful aboriginal 2018 erstwhile she was known arsenic Nadine Arslanian. Prosecutors said she soon joined a bribery strategy involving 3 New Jersey businessmen. The mates was joined successful the autumn of 2020.

Bob Menendez, whose Senate vocation began successful 2006, carried retired the bribery strategy portion helium held almighty positions connected the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

He was forced from the committee aft helium was charged successful the case.

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