NEW YORK - A judge granted a one week delay in the trial of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez Friday, but the senator was not physically in court. He joined the proceedings by phone.
Defendants Fred Dabies and Wael Hana, two New Jersey businessmen, appeared in court. Their trial will move forward at the same time as the senator's, now set for May 13.
Menendez's wife Nadine was notably absent. The judge granted a delay in her trial after attorneys revealed she's dealing with an unspecified medical condition. Her trial is now set to take place in July.
All four have pleaded not guilty.
Jose Uribe, another businessman, has pleaded guilty, and said he would testify against the other defendants.
What Menendez is accused of
Menendez and his wife are accused of taking bribes from the three businessmen, including gold bars and a convertible Mercedes, in exchange for political favors.
The indictment accuses Menendez and his wife Nadine of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to help the three businessmen, and conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt. Menendez has also been accused of obstructing the corruption investigation.
Menendez's defense strategy
Newly released court documents suggest that the senator might argue in court that his wife "withheld information" from him during certain communications, leading him to believe that nothing illegal was happening.
"We are eagerly anticipating the trial. I am pleased that we are moving forward quickly, and we are fully confident that we will easily prove his innocence," stated attorney Lawrence Lustberg.
