Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Nadine Menendez, who is fighting federal corruption charges alongside husband Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)—a man who allegedly appreciates a fine watch, an envelope stuffed with cash, and the odd gold bar—doesn’t believe she’ll get a fair trial if she has to defend herself as one half of a couple.
Lawyers for Nadine Menendez on Monday filed a motion to sever her trial from that of the embattled senior senator, arguing a joint trial would “undoubtedly prejudice Ms. Menendez’s right to defend herself.” Sen. Menendez followed suit just hours later with his own motion for severance.
If the two are tried as one unit, “either Senator Menendez will be prevented from providing exculpatory testimony in the form of marital communications on his own behalf, or Ms. Menendez will risk the admission of damaging testimony about privileged matters that would be inadmissible if she was tried separately,” according to Nadine’s motion, which contends it is “unfair to require either spouse to sacrifice the right to testify fully in one’s own defense or the ability to maintain the confidentiality of privileged marital communications.”