By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Nadine Menendez, wife of former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, was sentenced Thursday to four and a half years in prison for her role in a sweeping bribery scheme that saw the couple trade political influence for cash, gold bars, and luxury perks.
U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein handed down the sentence after Nadine, 58, was convicted in April of conspiring with her husband between 2018 and 2023 to advance the interests of wealthy associates and, in some cases, the Egyptian government. Along with the prison term, she was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
Prosecutors had urged a minimum of seven years, while the Probation Department recommended eight. Defense lawyers pressed for just one year, citing her health struggles, including a breast cancer diagnosis. Stein said he weighed her difficult upbringing in Lebanon, past abusive relationships, age, and medical history but emphasised the need for deterrence. “People have to understand there are consequences,” he told the court.
Before sentencing, a tearful Nadine said she was manipulated by her husband and blinded by his status. “I put my life in his hands and he strung me like a puppet,” she told the judge. “The blindfold is off. I now know he’s not my savior. He’s not the man I thought he was.” She admitted, however, that she should have recognised her responsibility as an adult.
Bob Menendez, 71, the former Democratic chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is already serving an 11-year sentence after being convicted last year of bribery, extortion, and acting as an agent for Egypt.
Prior to the hearing, the former lawmaker submitted a letter to the judge saying he regretted that he didn’t fully preview what his lawyer said about his wife during his trial and in closing arguments.
“To suggest that Nadine was money hungry or in financial need, and therefore would solicit others for help, is simply wrong,” he wrote.
Prosecutors argued Nadine was a central figure in the corruption, acting as a go-between for the senator and three New Jersey businessmen who funneled cash and gifts in exchange for political favours.
During a 2022 FBI raid on the couple’s New Jersey home, agents uncovered nearly half a million dollars in cash, gold bars worth about $150,000, and a luxury Mercedes convertible.
The case revealed how Menendez leveraged his position in Congress to assist associates with ties to Egypt, including expediting the country’s access to U.S. military aid.
Nadine will begin serving her sentence while her husband continues his prison term, marking a dramatic fall for one of Washington’s once most powerful political couples.