Nadine Menendez, Wife of Former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, Sentenced to Over Four Years in Prison

More than seven months after her husband, former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, was sentenced to over a decade in prison for a years-long bribery and corruption scheme, Nadine Menendez was sentenced Thursday to four and a half years behind bars for her role in the conspiracy, which included selling her husband's political influence in exchange for bribes, including cash, gold, and a luxury car.

At a federal court in New York, U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein sentenced Nadine Menendez for participating in the scheme between 2018 and 2023. Prosecutors alleged she worked with her husband on a variety of corrupt dealings, including actions that benefited the Egyptian government, as reported by NBC News.

In addition to her prison sentence, she was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Judge Stein cited her health, age, and the emotional toll of the trial, during which she was diagnosed with breast cancer, as reasons for a degree of leniency.

Speaking before her sentencing, Nadine Menendez described her husband as a "manipulative liar" who exerted control over her.

"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 added that she felt deceived and intimidated by his political stature and compelled to follow his lead.

"I would never have imagined someone of his ranking putting me in this position," she said.

Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in January after prosecutors said he used his Senate position to benefit three businessmen in exchange for bribes that included gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz gifted to Nadine Menendez, and more than $480,000 in cash. The businessmen also allegedly sought favors involving the governments of Egypt and Qatar. He was found guilty on all 16 charges against him, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent.

Two of the businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were tried alongside Menendez and convicted on all counts. A third defendant, Jose Uribe, is expected to be convicted later this year.

As reported by The Hill, Nadine Menendez was initially portrayed as the mastermind behind the scheme by her husband's defense team, which claimed she concealed her dealings from him. However, ahead of her sentencing, Bob Menendez wrote to the court, saying it was "simply wrong" to suggest his wife was motivated by greed or had acted alone.

All four co-defendants are appealing or expected to appeal their convictions. Some of the issues raised by Bob Menendez could draw attention from appellate judges, particularly his argument that prosecutors violated the Constitution's "speech or debate" clause, which offers lawmakers a form of immunity for legislative activities.