• Nadine Menendez sentenced to 4.5 years for aiding in a bribery scheme.
• She was convicted of 15 counts, including bribery and fraud.
• Her husband, former Senator Robert Menendez, is serving an 11-year sentence.
• Prosecutors sought over seven years, citing her significant role in the corruption.
• Nadine described her husband as a "manipulative liar" during sentencing.

Nadine Menendez, the wife of former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, has been sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for her involvement in a corruption scheme that included accepting bribes of cash, gold bars, and a luxury vehicle. She was convicted in April of 15 counts, including bribery and fraud, after acting as an intermediary between her husband and various businessmen and officials, including those from Egypt. U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein issued the sentence on September 11, emphasizing the seriousness of her crimes, which contributed to the political downfall of her husband, who previously served as a powerful senator and chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, according to BBC, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters.

During the sentencing, Nadine Menendez expressed regret and described her husband as a "manipulative liar." In her emotional speech, she stated, “I put my life in his hands and he strung me like a puppet.” She acknowledged that she had been blinded by his powerful position and asserted that she should have known better than to engage in the illegal activities they undertook together. The judge made clear that her role was not that of an innocent bystander, but rather purposeful in the scheme, according to Los Angeles Times and Reuters.

In addition to her prison sentence, Judge Stein imposed a three-year supervised release following her time served and provided leniency due to her personal circumstances, including her battle with breast cancer, which delayed her trial. Federal prosecutors initially sought a much harsher sentence of over seven years, arguing that Nadine played a crucial role in the bribery scheme alongside her husband. Bob Menendez is currently serving an 11-year sentence for his own separate convictions related to corruption and bribery, according to BBC, Los Angeles Times, and Reuters.