Nadine Menendez, the wife of Sen. Bob Menendez, who is accused of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes with her husband, has stage 3 breast cancer, the senator announced Thursday.
DN.J. “As a result of persistent press inquiries and reporters following my wife, she has asked me to disclose her medical condition,” Menendez said in a statement. “Nadine is suffering from stage 3 breast cancer. She should have a mastectomy. We are certainly concerned about the severity and progression of the disease.”
The news comes in the first week of Menendez’s federal criminal trial, where he is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for official acts.
The statement also said Nadine Menendez will need additional surgery and possibly radiation treatment.
“We hope and pray for the best results,” he said. “We ask the press and public to give him the time, space and privacy to deal with this difficult medical condition during his surgery and recovery.”
The senator made the announcement during the first week of his federal criminal trial on charges of accepting bribes in exchange for official acts.
Opening statements The criminal trial began Wednesday, but Nadine Menendez was absent from the courtroom that began Monday during jury selection. Her case was dismissed from her husband’s by a judge in April due to a then-undisclosed medical problem.
Bob and Nadine Menendez each pleaded not guilty They are also charged, along with businessmen Fred Daibes and Wael Hana. Two men are on trial with Menendez.
The third man, Jose Uribe, admitted his guilt agreed to cooperate with the investigation earlier this year. He is expected to testify against the senator.
In opening statements Wednesday, Manhattan prosecutors announced corruption allegations against Bob Menendez.
“For years, he betrayed the people he was supposed to serve by taking bribes,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz.
The senator resigned as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier this year. Despite numerous calls from other elected officials of his party, he has not resigned from the Congress.
Menendez has decided not to run for re-election as a Democrat this year, but has not ruled it out works independently.
In 2015, Menendez was also accused of receiving favors from a Florida doctor, but this case ended in controversy.
Jonathan Dienst, Julia Jester and Tom Winter contributed.