Court docs suggest Bob Menendez may blame wife in upcoming trial

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez appears poised to claim that his wife left out key details that led him to believe his conduct was lawful in his upcoming trial, according to a court filing.

Menendez faces more than a dozen charges connection with bribery allegations, including claims he acted as a foreign agent of Egypt. He has pleaded not guilty, as has his wife, Nadine. The pair will be tried separately following Nadine's disclosure of an unspecified health complication.

His attorneys previously sought to keep their defense strategy private, warning the court that revealing their plans could taint the jury pool. A judge ordered the unsealing of the filing on Tuesday, Politico reported.

Included in the materials were plans for the senator to claim that his wife "withheld information from Sen. Menendez or otherwise led him to believe that nothing unlawful was taking place."

His attorneys further aim to convince a jury of the "absence of any improper intent on Senator Menendez's part."

The senator is scheduled to face trial on May 6, though prosecutors have asked to delay the date and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. He has refused to resign amid the allegations and hopes to mount an independent reelection bid in November should his legal woes subside.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.