Nadine Menendez, the embattled wife of equally embattled Sen. Bob Menendez, asked a judge on Tuesday to delay the start of her trial on bribery charges because of a “serious medical condition,” which her lawyers said would require surgery as well as “significant follow-up and recovery treatment.”
In a letter to the Manhattan federal judge who will oversee her trial, Menendez’ attorneys said she would be unable to assist them “in preparing for trial in the next four weeks.” The surgical procedure will need to take place sometime in the next four to six weeks, they said.
“Nor would Ms. Menendez be in a physical or psychological condition to participate in a six-week trial beginning on May 6, 2024,” they added.
ADVERTISEMENT
Noting that “the full extent of medical treatment” that Menendez will require is uncertain, her attorneys asked for a status hearing to be held in June, at which time they will “provide the Court with an update on her medical condition and treatment plan and on a feasible timetable for rescheduling her trial date.”
Further details were filed under seal, according to Politico. Prosecutors did not immediately respond to the letter.
Menendez and her co-defendants—her husband and two New Jersey businessmen—have all pleaded not guilty to their respective criminal charges, which concern allegations that the couple accepted bribes in exchange for political favors, including gold bars and a luxury car, which served as a replacement for the vehicle Nadine Menendez totaled in a 2018 crash that killed a jaywalking pedestrian.
The incident was not reported until the Menendezes’ 39-page indictment, which also accuses Sen. Menendez of quietly acting as an agent for the Egyptian government, was issued last year. After the crash, Nadine Menendez was questioned and released by New Jersey police, who concluded she was not at fault without testing her for drugs or alcohol, according to The New York Times.
The letter was filed just days after Menendez’ four-lawyer team asked to be allowed to withdraw from her case. The motion was filed on Friday by attorneys David Schertler, Danny Onorato, Mark MacDougall, and Paola Pinto.
The lawyers did not cite a specific reason for withdrawal in their Friday motion, but indicated that they would elaborate on associated “circumstances” in a sealed filing. Their request comes three weeks after prosecutors alerted the court that they may call Schertler to the stand as a witness, indicating they believe he may have “participated in… relevant conversations” with the Menendezes and one of the businessmen about bribes.
The judge overseeing the case, Judge Sidney Stein, previously said he would not allow Menendez’ lawyers to both testify and continue representing her. He had not ruled on their request to withdraw by Tuesday. (The letter regarding Menendez’ health and postponement was filed by Schertler, Onorato, and Pinto.)
The Menendezes, who wed in 2020, have asked the judge to split their case and allow them separate trials. Nadine, 57, faces 15 criminal charges, while Bob, 70, faces 16.
Sen. Menendez declined last month to run for re-election as a Democrat, but said he would keep the door open regarding a run as an independent—provided he’s acquitted.
