Federal prosecutors agreed to Nadine Menendez’s request to postpone trial on Wednesday after her lawyers said she was dealing with serious health issues.
Prosecutors said it “takes seriously the unexpected medical development,” and that a trial delay would allow Menendez enough time to recover.
Nadine, the wife of embattled Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.,, and her lawyers are requested their trial be postponed after she was diagnosed with “a serious medical condition” on Tuesday, just a few days after they requested to withdraw their defense.
TIMELINE OF SEN BOB MENENDEZ’S INDICTMENT WITH WIFE ALLEGES YEARSLONG CORRUPTION
Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife Nadine Menendez arrive at the federal courthouse in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon)
In a letter to the Southern District of New York Judge Sidney Stein, Nadine’s lawyers said her condition will require a surgical procedure in the next 4–6 weeks and “significant follow-up and recovery treatment,” thus requesting a later trial date.
Given her medical condition, Nadine’s lawyers said she would not be “in a physical or psychological condition to participate in a six-week trial” starting on May 6.
“Due to the present uncertainty as to the full extent of medical treatment” that Menendez will require, her lawyers requested a hearing on June 4 to provide the court with an update on her medical condition and recovery, and set a new trial date.
Last week, all four of Nadine’s lawyers — David Schertler, Danny Onorato, Mark MacDougall and Paola Pinto — filed a motion to withdraw from her case. The reasons were explained in a sealed declaration that has not been publicly released.
DEMOCRAT SEN MENENDEZ’S WIFE HIT, KILLED PEDESTRIAN WHILE DRIVING IN 2018: REPORTS
Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey and his wife Nadine Menendez arrive at the federal courthouse in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Federal prosecutors initially unsealed charges against Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, in September 2023. The indictment includes allegations that he acted as a foreign agent of Egypt and engaged in a corruption scheme alongside businessman Jose Uribe, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, who runs a halal meat certification business in the state.
Sen. Menendez and his wife allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes “to seek to protect and enrich” Uribe, Daibes and Hana. The bribes included cash, gold bars, home mortgage payments, compensation for no-show jobs and “other things of value,” according to the indictment.
Uribe also allegedly helped Menendez and his wife purchase a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible valued at over $60,000. According to the indictment, Menendez had agreed to interfere in a New Jersey state criminal prosecution dealing with an associate of Uribe, who faced insurance fraud charges relating to a trucking company and an employee of Uribe.
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Sen. Menendez was removed as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last fall.
The couple have both pleaded not guilty.
Fox News’ Maria Paronich and Joe Schoffstall contributed to this report.
