Washington — During a search at Sen. Bob Menendez's New Jersey residence in June 2022, federal investigators uncovered more than $480,000 in cash hidden in envelopes and coats, along with 13 gold bars valued at over $100,000.
Furthermore, they confiscated close to $80,000 from his wife's safe deposit box at a nearby bank.
Menendez, who faced corruption charges last year, justified his actions by stating that he had been withdrawing thousands of dollars monthly from his personal savings account for three decades as a precautionary measure. This "old-fashioned" practice, he explained, was deeply rooted in his family's Cuban background.
In a recently revealed letter, the Democratic senator's legal team contended that this behavior was a result of "two significant traumatic events" in his life.
According to the letter sent to prosecutors, a psychiatrist who assessed Menendez is expected to testify that the senator "endured intergenerational trauma linked to his family's status as refugees, whose assets were seized by the Cuban government, leaving them with only a small sum of cash hidden in their home."
The Senator's Mental Health and Legal Battle
During the upcoming trial of Senator Menendez, psychiatrist Karen Rosenbaum may testify that the senator experienced significant trauma related to his father's suicide following gambling debts. The psychiatrist suggests that Menendez developed an untreated mental condition as a result of these lifelong traumas, leading to a fear of scarcity and a habit of storing cash at home.
However, prosecutors have objected to this proposed testimony, arguing that it lacks scientific basis and is an attempt to sway the jury's sympathy. They are requesting the judge to prevent Rosenbaum from testifying and instead have Menendez examined by a different psychiatrist.
Menendez's trial is scheduled to commence on May 13.
In September 2023, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee faced indictment on charges of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bribes with his wife, Nadine. It was alleged that they leveraged his power to benefit three New Jersey businessmen and the government of Egypt.
Subsequent indictments in the following months accused Menendez and his wife of conspiring to act as a foreign agent for Egypt, accepting expensive gifts in exchange for favorable comments about Qatar, and obstructing the investigation into the corruption allegations.
Both Menendez and his wife have maintained their innocence against all charges.
Recent court filings revealed that envelopes containing over $80,000 in cash bore the fingerprints or DNA of one of the New Jersey businessmen, while all gold bars could be traced back to two of them. Prosecutors noted that some cash, not linked to the businessmen, was packaged in a manner suggesting it had been withdrawn in large sums from a bank where the Menendezes had no account, indicating it was provided by another individual.
Recent reports suggest that Menendez is considering the possibility of implicating his spouse, who is set to face a separate trial this summer due to a serious medical condition requiring surgery. Menendez's legal team mentioned in a court filing that the senator may provide testimony regarding conversations with his wife that could reveal instances where she withheld crucial information from him or misled him into believing that no illegal activities were taking place.
