Embattled New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez revealed on Thursday that his wife Nadine Menendez has breast cancer. Senator and Mrs. Menendez are charged separately in a case alleging the senator abused his position to act as a foreign agent for Egypt and Qatar and accepted bribes from several New Jersey businessmen. Senator Menendez, 70, went on trial this week; the couple have both pleaded not guilty.
Nadine Menendez’s trial had been delayed until July due to previously undisclosed health reasons. Sen. Menendez shared that Nadine, 57, is battling Grade 3 breast cancer and will also have to undergo a mastectomy. The senator said in a statement: “As a result of constant press inquiries and reporters following my wife, she has asked me to disclose her medical condition. We are of course, concerned about the seriousness and advanced stage of the disease .. We hope and pray for the best results. We ask the press and the public to give her the time, space and privacy to deal with this challenging health condition as she undergoes surgery and recovery.” Menendez added that his wife will require “follow-up surgery and possibly radiation treatment,” but did not include additional details.
A federal grand jury in New York indicted Menendez in September 2023, accusing him and his wife of having a corrupt relationship with three New Jersey businessmen. The New Jersey Democratic senator is accused of accepting cash, gold bars, luxury wristwatches and other perks from New Jersey businessmen in exchange for official favors to benefit the businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Senator Menendez’s attorney, Avi Weitzman, tried to distance Menendez from his wife earlier this week by arguing the two lived mostly “separate lives” and had “separate finances.” Nadine Menendez is awaiting a July 8 federal trial, and her attorneys stated that she “denies any wrongdoing and will vigorously defend against these allegations in court.”
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