Turkophobic Menendez, his Armenian wife request postponement of bribery trial

Nadine Menendez, wife of convicted ex-senator Bob Menendez, known for his criticism of Türkiye and ties to Greek and Armenian groups, has requested a delay in her bribery trial due to media coverage of her husband's sentencing.

In a letter to federal Judge Sidney H. Stein, attorney Barry Coburn argued that the intense publicity from Bob Menendez's sentencing on January 29 could prejudice potential jurors, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Coburn noted that selecting an impartial jury would be challenging with just a week between the sentencing and Nadine Menendez's trial, set for February 5. “The inevitably intense publicity accompanying the sentencing...would likely make it impossible to find unbiased jurors,” Coburn wrote.

Supporting his claim, jury consultant Jo-Ellan Dimitrius warned that the press coverage could leave a lasting impression on jurors, affecting their impartiality. She suggested alternative measures, such as a change of venue or deeper questioning of potential jurors, to counter the influence of pretrial publicity.

Nadine Menendez's legal team had previously raised concerns over her health, with her trial being delayed to accommodate her breast cancer treatment.

In September 2023, Nadine and Bob were charged with bribery after an investigation into their dealings with three businessmen connected to the Egyptian government. According to the 39-page indictment, the couple accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bribes in return for the protection of Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes and to "benefit" the government of Egypt.

Arslanian was born Nadine Tabourian in Beirut, Lebanon, to Armenian parents who brought her to the United States when she was a child. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev