Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for her role in a high-profile bribery and corruption case. The 58-year-old was found guilty in April on 15 counts, including bribery and acting as an intermediary between her husband and Egyptian officials.
During the trial, prosecutors described Nadine as “indispensable” to the scheme, alleging she accepted lavish gifts—including gold bars, cash, and a luxury Mercedes-Benz—on behalf of her husband. They had urged the court to impose a minimum sentence of seven years.
At her sentencing hearing on Thursday, Nadine Menendez distanced herself from her husband, saying she had placed blind trust in him. “I now know he’s not my savior. He’s not the man I thought he was,” she told the judge, adding she should have “asked more questions.”
Robert Menendez, once the powerful chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was convicted last year and sentenced to 11 years in prison for the same scheme. Prosecutors said the couple leveraged his influential role to covertly promote the Egyptian government’s interests in Washington.
The case broke open after a 2022 FBI raid on the Menendezes’ New Jersey home uncovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash hidden in clothing and envelopes, alongside more than $100,000 worth of gold bars. Text messages and online searches—such as Robert Menendez’s inquiry into the value of gold—further tied the couple to the conspiracy.
Nadine Menendez’s trial was delayed following a breast cancer diagnosis and surgery. Throughout court proceedings, she wore a face mask and a pin to raise awareness for breast cancer.
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Other figures also faced consequences in the bribery scandal. New Jersey developer Fred Daibes and Egyptian-born halal certification executive Wael Hana were convicted, while insurance broker Jose Uribe pleaded guilty in March 2024 to related charges.
This sentencing marks the final chapter in a corruption scandal that ended the political career of one of Washington’s most powerful senators and drew global attention to U.S.-Egypt relations.
Insurance broker Jose Uribe pleaded guilty in March 2024 to charges related to the corrupt scheme.
