• A jury found Nadine Menendez guilty of participating in a bribery scheme alongside her husband.
• She was convicted on all 15 counts, including bribery and obstruction of justice.
• Nadine is scheduled for sentencing on June 12, shortly after her husband's prison term begins.
• The case involved valuable gifts, including cash, gold bars, and a luxury vehicle.

Nadine Menendez, the wife of former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, has been convicted on all counts in a federal bribery trial following accusations of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for political favors. Prosecutors presented evidence that she acted as a "partner in crime" with her husband, aiding in a complex bribery scheme tied to their personal relationship, which began in 2018, according to ABC News.

The jury's unanimous verdict came after a three-week trial where Nadine Menendez was found guilty on all 15 counts, including bribery, honest services wire fraud, and conspiracy to act as a foreign agent. Her sentencing is set for June 12, just days after her husband begins serving his 11-year prison sentence, according to The New York Times.

During the trial, prosecutors detailed how Nadine facilitated bribes from multiple businessmen in exchange for favors from her husband, who held significant political influence as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. They described her role as critical to the execution of the scheme, which included maintaining business monopolies and influencing criminal investigations against associates of the businessmen, according to BBC News.

Evidentiary findings from a 2022 FBI raid on the couple's home revealed nearly $150,000 worth of gold bars and approximately $480,000 in cash concealed within various items. Testimonies indicated that Nadine Menendez began soliciting bribes to help her husband establish corrupt agreements shortly after they began dating, according to South China Morning Post.

Nadine's defense argued that the dealings were unsubstantiated routine actions typical of a politician's work for constituents, highlighting that evidence did not sufficiently support bribery claims. However, the prosecution maintained that the relationship between the couple and the alleged bribes constituted clear corruption, according to The Hill.

Both Nadine and Bob Menendez maintain their innocence, stating they never took bribes. Nevertheless, the outcome of the trials marks a significant stance by the judicial system against corruption within political offices, as emphasized by prosecutors with statements suggesting that the verdict sends a strong message that public officials cannot sell their influence, as reported by Los Angeles Times.