Nadine Menendez, wife of former US senator Bob Menendez, was sentenced on Thursday to four and a half years in prison for her role in a high-profile bribery scandal.
The 58-year-old was convicted in April of accepting bribes in exchange for her husband’s political influence on behalf of Egypt and New Jersey businessmen.
Husband already serving 11 years
Bob Menendez, the once-powerful former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is already serving an 11-year sentence after being found guilty of 16 felonies, including bribery and fraud. He became the first American senator ever convicted of acting as a foreign agent.
“The defendant and her co-conspirator, former senator Robert Menendez, engaged in the most brazen form of public corruption — accepting gold bars, cash, and a luxury car in exchange for the senator’s influence,” prosecutor Jay Clayton said.
Trial delayed by illness
Nadine Menendez had originally been scheduled to stand trial alongside her husband, but proceedings were postponed while she underwent treatment for breast cancer.
Her sentencing adds to the downfall of the Menendez family, once at the centre of Washington power, now defined by prison terms and one of the most notorious scandals in recent congressional history.
Also read: Ex-Sen. Menendez sentenced to 11 years for corruption and bribery
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