Menendez urges leniency for his wife

In a letter written from prison, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez sought to walk back his defense strategy at trial that blamed his wife, Nadine, for his role in a bribery conspiracy — and pleaded with a federal judge to show her mercy when she is sentenced next month.

“I regret that I didn’t fully preview what my defense attorney said about Nadine during my trial and in his summation,” Menendez wrote. “To suggest that Nadine was money-hungry or in financial need, and therefore would solicit others for help, is simply wrong. If justice tempered by mercy is to mean anything, Nadine should not be imprisoned. There are more compassionate and equitable sentences that would still serve the cause of justice.”

Nadine Menendez was convicted of conspiring with her husband to accept bribes, including cash, gold bars, and a luxury Mercedes-Benz. Bob Menendez resigned from the Senate in July 2024 and began serving an eleven-year prison sentence in June 2025. After several delays, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein is scheduled to sentence Nadine Menendez on September 11.

The government is seeking an eight-year prison term, while Nadine’s attorneys are arguing for just one year. A medical expert retained by the defense has warned that no U.S. prison facility is equipped to provide the specialized treatment Nadine needs for breast cancer.

“A sentence anywhere near the 96 months recommended by the Probation Department will ensure that Nadine Menendez dies in prison,” her attorneys wrote in a partially redacted letter to Judge Stein.

Defense lawyers — Sarah Krissoff, Catherine Yun, and Andrew Vazquez — also contend that the government’s recommendation is disproportionate compared to similar cases. They cite the one-year sentence given to Maureen McDonnell, the wife of former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell, and argue that co-defendants Wael Hanna and Fred Daines received “disparate sentences not commensurate with their level of culpability.”

In court filings, Nadine’s attorneys and husband painted a portrait of a woman shaped by trauma and hardship.

“She is a deeply traumatized woman,” one lawyer wrote. “Her entire life has been marked by men who have taken advantage of her and harmed her in myriad ways.”

Bob Menendez described his wife as a successful businesswoman, devoted mother, and cancer patient fighting for her life. He recounted her family’s escape from Lebanon during the country’s civil war and her father’s abduction.

“She had nightmares about the children she saw dying, as they picked up explosive devices they thought were toys,” Menendez wrote.

He also blamed some of her struggles on an abusive former relationship, saying that a severe beating caused lasting brain injuries.

“Taken as a whole, my wife has already suffered more than most people in a lifetime,” Menendez said. “She has lost everything she cared about. I am incarcerated and can no longer help her or be her caregiver. She has lost her charitable work, her social standing, and has endured family strife as a result of the government’s actions — including the seizure of family possessions and closure of accounts.”

Menendez also complained that jewelry seized from their Englewood Cliffs home was largely inherited from Nadine’s late mother and other relatives, questioning why the government has not returned those items.