BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 16. Pro-Armenian Senator Bob Menendez blamed his wife for the accusations made against him, Trend reports.
Thus, Menendez's lawyer Avi Weitzman argued in Manhattan Federal Court that his client allegedly was unaware of the gold bars "hidden" in his home and accused Nadine Arslaniyan of concealing them without her husband's knowledge.
The lawyer presented images of the Menendez home's walk-in closet in court, stating the gold bars were in a locked drawer in his wife's closet.
"The senator was unaware of the presence of the gold bars," Weitzman tried to convince the jury.
To note, several new charges were filed against pro-Armenian US Senator Bob Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslaniyan. The accusations included conspiracy to obstruct justice, acting as a government official as a foreign agent, bribery, and wire fraud.
Authorities alleged that Menendez and his wife accepted bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and expensive cars from businessmen, promising them help and support using the senator's influence.
The businessman, Jose Uribe of Clifton, N.J., pleaded guilty during an appearance in Manhattan Federal Court to seven charges against him, including bribery between 2018 and 2023, committing wire fraud, obstructing legal proceedings, and tax evasion. The prosecution alleged that the businessman gave Senator Menendez's wife a Mercedes-Benz car as a gift.
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