NEW YORK — A jury will resume deliberations Monday within the bribery case introduced towards Nadine Menendez after a prosecutor informed a jury that she used to be a “vital player” in a five-year fraud along with her husband, former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez.
The jury started taking into consideration the fees towards the 58-year-old Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, resident in mid-afternoon on Friday in Big apple federal court docket. Jurors went house just about two hours later with out achieving a verdict.
Bob Menendez, 71, a New Jersey Democrat, is to report back to jail in June to start out an 11-year sentence. He stepped down from his Senate submit after his conviction ultimate 12 months.
All over a last argument Thursday, Nadine Menendez’s legal professional, Barry Coburn, argued that the proof used to be inadequate to lead to a conviction.
In a rebuttal argument on Friday morning, Assistant U.S. Lawyer Daniel Richenthal steered the jury to convict Nadine Menendez, announcing they must imagine that over $450,000 in money and gold bars price masses of hundreds of greenbacks extra that have been discovered by means of the FBI of their house have been presents relatively than bribes.
“They were not presents,” he mentioned. “They have been bribes.”
He referred to as the proof towards her “constant and overwhelming” and described her as an “energetic player, a vital player” within the bribery scheme.
Born in Lebanon of Armenian descent, Nadine Menendez started relationship the senator in early 2018 when she used to be referred to as Nadine Arslanian. Prosecutors mentioned she quickly joined a bribery scheme involving 3 New Jersey businessmen. The couple used to be married within the fall of 2020.
Bob Menendez, whose Senate profession started in 2006, performed the bribery scheme whilst he held tough positions at the influential Senate Overseas Family members Committee.
He used to be pressured from the committee after he used to be charged within the case.
The trial for Nadine Menendez used to be postponed ultimate 12 months after she used to be identified with breast most cancers and required surgical operation.
