Sen. Bob Menendez's bribery trial, conviction and 11-year sentence

Before trial, one co-defendant, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate,^[19] and Menendez said he would not run in the Democratic primary, though he hinted at an independent bid if exonerated.^[20] A judge granted Nadine Menendez a separate, later trial after she cited a serious medical condition, which the senator later said was breast cancer.^[21][22] At his trial, which opened in May 2024, his lawyer blamed his wife, saying he had not known about the gifts she took from businessmen.^[23] Prosecutors showed jurors evidence of her desperate finances^[24] and of Menendez researching the price of gold,^[25] and New Jersey's top federal prosecutor testified that Menendez had sought to discuss a developer's prosecution with him before recommending him for the job.^[26] Menendez did not take the stand.^[27]

In closing arguments a prosecutor said Menendez had put his power "up for sale."^[28] In mid-July 2024 the jury convicted him of bribery, fraud, extortion and acting on behalf of Egypt.^[1] Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on him to resign,^[29] the Senate Ethics Committee opened a review,^[30] and he left office on August 20.^[3] Gov. Phil Murphy appointed his former chief of staff, George Helmy, to fill the seat until the November election.^[31][32] Menendez sought a new trial after prosecutors revealed that excluded evidence had been put on a computer given to jurors.^[33][34] Prosecutors asked for 15 years, calling him the first person convicted of abusing a Senate committee leadership post,^[35] and in late January 2025 he was sentenced to 11.^[4]

Nadine Menendez went on trial in March 2025,^[36] and in April she was convicted of teaming up with her husband to accept bribes of cash, gold bars and a luxury car.^[2] Prosecutors sought seven years;^[37] in September she told the judge her husband was "not the man I thought he was" and was sentenced to four and a half years.^[6]