The federal bribery trial of Nadine Menendez, the wife of former senator Bob Menendez, reached closing arguments on Thursday.
Prosecutors methodically walked the jury through each of 15 counts Nadine Menendez faces, aiming to show that she essentially acted on behalf of her husband, who has already been convicted in the scandal and sentenced to 11 years in prison. She has pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution suggested Nadine Menendez played a key role in the alleged bribery scheme.
The defense team argued there was “a complete failure of proof,” and said both a clear quid pro quo and any official act as defined under the law were absent. They also questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s key witness, Jose Uribe, calling him unreliable due to his status as a convicted felon and criticizing his testimony as uncorroborated and questionable.
The trial was initially expected to continue through mid-May, but a verdict could come much sooner than anticipated.
