Sen. Bob Menendez's wife, Nadine, is undergoing treatment for breast cancer and will be having a mastectomy, the senator's office announced Thursday.
Menendez, 70, revealed his wife's cancer diagnosis in a statement released while he was sitting in Federal District Court in Manhattan. The longtime New Jersey Democrat senator is charged with accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for exerting political influence.
"We are of course concerned about the seriousness and advanced stage of the disease," Bob Menendez said. "We hope and pray for the best results."
The announcement, obtained by The New York Times, came less than a day after the senator's legal team told the jury that Nadine Menendez, 57, was largely responsible for the gold bars and other lavish bribes prosecutors allege he took for helping New Jersey businessmen and the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
Describing his wife's cancer as "grade 3," Menendez said he was releasing information on her condition at her request because of "constant press inquiries and reporters following [her]." He requested privacy as she fights the disease.
After the mastectomy, "she will require follow-up surgery and possibly radiation treatment," Menendez said.
Nadine Menendez was originally scheduled to stand trial with her husband and two other defendants beginning this week, but Judge Sidney Stein agreed last month to grant her a delay and a separate trial in July after her lawyers informed the court she had a "serious medical condition."
The Times reported that, prior to Thursday's announcement, the details of her diagnosis were shared only with Stein in a sealed submission, prompting widespread speculation among Garden State political circles.
The pair is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, 13 gold bars worth $150,000, a $60,000 Mercedes convertible and other high-end gifts in exchange for acting as a foreign agent for the governments of Egypt and Qatar and doing political favors for three New Jersey businessmen.
Since being indicted in September 2023, Menendez has seen his support plummet and he has stepped down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He also announced that he will not seek reelection as a Democrat, but left the door open to the possibility of running as an independent.
A number of Menendez's colleagues have called for his resignation, including fellow New Jersey Democrat Cory Booker.
"I believe stepping down is best for those Sen. Menendez has spent his life serving," Booker said, according to Newsweek.
The Associated Press reported that the trial, which began Monday, is expected to take up to two months.
Both Menendez and his wife have pleaded not guilty.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.