Senator Menendez, Wife Want Luxury Lifestyle Barred at Trial

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Bloomberg

April 5, 2024 at 10:47 PM EDT
Updated on April 6, 2024 at 11:01 AM EDT


US Senator Robert Menendez and his wife don’t want jurors at their upcoming corruption trial to learn about the power couple’s luxurious lifestyle that included cigars, handbags and jewelry.

Lawyers for Menendez and his wife, Nadine, objected Friday to prosecutors seeking to offer such evidence in New York federal court, where they’re accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold bars and a car in exchange for political favors for three businessmen.

Jurors shouldn’t be told about their “preference for expensive luxury items” including his preference for Bombay Sapphire Gin, cigars and upscales meals on a limited salary, and her handbags and jewelry while desiring a Mercedes-Benz, according to separate filings by the couple’s lawyers.

“There is no yacht or vacation home that was draining Senator Menendez’s finances,” lawyers for the New Jersey Democrat wrote in the filing. “He lived well within his means as a federal government employee.” Menendez’s lawyers ridiculed prosecutors for trying to brand run of the mill purchases as luxury items.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-06/senator-menendez-s-wife-wants-luxury-lifestyle-excluded-at-trial?srnd=politics-vp

[MOMFUDSKI]

1. Talk about marrying

the wrong woman!!!! Another case of not enough blood supply to run his brain and his pecker at the same time.

[prodigitalson]

2. good luck with that....goes directly to motive

[coprolite]

3. Jurors shouldn't be told about their.....preference for Bombay Sapphir Gin

I bought gin today and looked at the Bombay gins and decided it was too expensive. Sure, it's great gin but a bit beyond my budget.

[druidity33]

4. Looked at Single Malts lately?...

Bombay Sapphire is a bargain compared to a nice 12 year old bottle of Scotch. Or a bottle of Chateau Montelena from the right year.

[cstanleytech]

7. You caused me to check those prices out and my mouth almost dropped open in shock.

It makes me glad that I don't care for the taste of liquor.

[TheFarseer]

12. Yeah, Bombay Sapphire is not that much.

It’s a little splurgy but it’s not a yacht. It’s like if they tried to say only rich people drink craft beer or something.

But on a serious note, Bob Menendez is corrupt and should not be in the Senate if the allegations are true.

[cstanleytech]

5. Even though my income is below the poverty level I can understand that as their being well off is irrelevant.

The case after all does need to focus on proving that they accepted bribes which means that they need actual evidence with a paper trail to prove it.

[Elessar Zappa]

8. I don't think it's necessarily irrelevant.

If he’s living a life far beyond his means it seems fair game to me. It shows that money’s coming in that he isn’t claiming on his taxes, presumably.

[cstanleytech]

9. Only if they can provide proof that there isn't any way that they could have that amount of cash and gold on hand

would it be relevant.
In that I mean that they say "here is what we found in cash and gold but here is what they earned and this is what they spent it on".
In other words their lifestyle is irrelevant unless it proves the math doesn't add up.

[OldBaldy1701E]

10. I think that is the plan. Because I believe the math will not add up. (n/t)

[SouthernDem4ever]

6. Reading from the trump defense playbook Senator?

It sure sounds like it.

[AllyCat]

11. No! He does not get to hide who he is.

His lifestyle is germane to his alleged illegal activities.

[chowmama]

13. So they're worried that the judge and jury might be capable of basic math?

Income vs expenditure - doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.