The federal bribery trial of Nadine Menendez is now underway.

Jury selection began today in Manhattan Court for the wife of former U.S.

Senator Bob Menendez.

The couple and three new Jersey businessmen were indicted in 2023 for a wide ranging corruption scheme.

Menendez was found guilty on all counts and just two months ago was sentenced to 11 years in prison.

That was for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars in exchange for his political influence and for acting as a foreign agent to Egypt.

Nadine Menendez faces similar corruption charges, but her trial was postponed multiple times after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and went through a long recovery period following surgery and in what appeared to be a Hail Mary.

Today, the former powerful Democratic senator posted a message tagging President Trump on social media, writing that his wife Nadine was, quote, being forced by the government to go to trial despite having reconstructive surgery.

Quote, just days ago, and slammed the work of the Southern District of New York, where the trial is taking place, by calling prosecutors cruel and inhumane.

For more on that and what we know about jury selection, I'm joined by former federal prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni.

Chris, thanks for coming on the show.

I want to ask you first about this social media post from Bob Menendez.

He tagged the president essentially, you know, took issue with the work of the Southern District, said that they're forcing his wife to go to trial when she hasn't even fully recovered yet.

A lot of folks are seeing this as maybe a Hail Mary from the senator.

How else should it be interpreted?

Well, I, I, I don't even think the president.

I'd be surprised if the president or his designees even respond to that in practice, that, you know, the president is supposed to stay out of federal prosecutions like this.

And I'm I'm sure that's what's going to happen here.

Is it a Hail Mary?

I don't know, but I think one thing everybody recognizes the term speedy trial.

Right.

And it typically is invoked by defendants.

But, if you look at this statute, it's also a right to the United States, to the citizens, as well.

So that speedy trial right applies with, you know, some level of force like it would for a defendant in this case has been hanging out there for a long time.

In terms of the adjournments of Miss Menendez's trial, that's already happened on a couple of occasions.

And, you know, the case has to get heard at some point.

So I, I don't think that's going to make any difference here.

Judge Stein has made it clear that they're going forward.

Yeah.

I mean, the judge agreed to separate their trials to begin with and then agreed to continue postponing the case while Nadine underwent the the medical help that she needed for her breast cancer.

So, as you mentioned, we've been down this road of of being postponed.

Interesting take though.

Just about the speedy trial part of it.

Let's just remind folks what charges Nadine is up against and the fact that during her husband's trial, defense attorney really used this blame it all on the wife strategy.

As I mentioned, the trials are separate.

So does that factor in here?

Yeah.

It does.

And I'll tell you why.

Because the charges, if you recall, the ones that pertained largely to Mrs. Menendez, involve conspiracy to commit extortion, extortion and graft to receive things of value in return for helping facilitate her husband's official influence as a member, as a senator or a member of the Armed forces Committee.

It was Menendez.

It's alleged to have had these historical relationships with these other coconspirators.

So what you have by the presentation of the last trial is from this government side.

They've already been through this once, and it's a little bit easier, I think, to present the case against Mr. Menendez because she, as the alleged intermediary, was doing a lot of the communications with the Coconspirators.

There's more tangible evidence that can be presented against her emails.

Text communications have otherwise and the the cooperating defendant is going to testify more directly about his involvement with Mr. Menendez.

In terms of the defense strategy.

It kind of helps that there's a little bit of a playbook for them because they've I'm sure they've requested all of the trial transcripts of the testimony that was provided by the witnesses presented by the government.

So you kind of get an idea of which way the government's case in chief is going to go.

But I think in this case, it's going to be a little bit more targeted and more direct to demonstrate her role in the conspiracy, which, as alleged, is that she was an intermediary that facilitated these bribe schemes.

So so you're saying because she had that sort of go between role, the receipt, the paper trail is going to be, we would expect a bit more damning, than what we saw during the trial for Senator Menendez, I think so, I mean, there was less communications directly with Senator Menendez.

But with Miss Menendez, she she was the one receiving direct things of value, like I think she had.

It's alleged that she had a low show job to receive the Mercedes mortgage payments.

And she was the intermediary communicating with the Coconspirators on one side.

But then her husband and a fellow coconspirator who was one that exercised these official acts very quickly.

Let me ask you, Chris, very quickly about jury selection.

It took about two days for the former senator.

What might we expect for Nadine?

The Southern District judges in general really know how to facilitate expedient jury selection.

So if it takes any longer, it's not going to be days on.

It might just be an extra day or so.

I think they'll get a jury in the box fairly quickly.

A lot of these jury questionnaires go out and are asking, among other things, these specific questions.

Have you heard anything about this case?

So they can kind of get a sense of who they might need to, you know, Chris, Commissioner, good to talk to you.

And I know we'll be talking again soon.

Thanks so much.

Likewise.

Good to be with you all again.

Take care.