According to a recently unsealed court document, it has been revealed that Senator Bob Menendez might place the blame on his wife during his upcoming trial on political corruption charges. This information was made public after various news organizations, including ABC News, fought for its release.
The defense team filed the potential line of defense earlier this year in secret. This decision was made before the judge agreed to try Menendez and his wife separately. This was due to Nadine Menendez’s undisclosed medical condition. The trial for the senator is scheduled to begin on May 6 in Manhattan federal court.
According to defense attorneys, there is a possibility that Menendez may choose to testify in his own defense. If he does, he could potentially implicate his wife by suggesting that she withheld information from him, leading him to be unaware of her alleged illegal activities.
The filing mentioned that these explanations, along with the marital communications they rely on, are likely to clear Senator Menendez by showing that he had no improper intentions. However, they may implicate Nadine by revealing how she kept information from Senator Menendez or gave him the impression that nothing illegal was happening.
Menendez has been accused of allegedly accepting cash, gold bars, and various other perks from businessmen based in New Jersey. These alleged transactions were said to have occurred in exchange for official favors that would benefit both the businessmen themselves, as well as the governments of Egypt and Qatar. However, Menendez has entered a plea of not guilty in response to these accusations.
Last month, the senator made the announcement that he would not be seeking re-election for a fourth term as a Democrat in the upcoming fall.
