New Jersey Sen, Robert Menendez’s wife, Nadine, is being treated for breast cancer and will undergo a mastectomy, he announced Thursday.
The diagnosis was revealed in a statement from Menendez, as he appeared in court Thursday on corruption charges related to an alleged-years long scheme.
“We are of course concerned about the seriousness and advanced stage of the disease,” Menendez, 70, said in the statement, first reported by the New York Times. “We hope and pray for the best results.”
The news came just a day after lawyers for the Garden State Democrat told a jury during opening statements that Nadine, 57 — who is charged alongside him — was to blame for the stash of gold bars at their home that prosecutors allege were bribes.
Nadine’s trial had been postponed at least until July for undisclosed health reasons and for a procedure.
The senior senator – of Englewood Cliffs, N.J. – said Nadine asked him to go public with the news now “as a result of constant press inquiries and reporters following [her].”
He said she has been diagnosed with “Grade 3 breast cancer” and said after the mastectomy “she will require follow-up surgery and possibly radiation treatment.”
The duo are accused of accepting 13 gold bars worth $150,000, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, a Mercedes convertible and other luxury gifts.
In exchange, Menendez allegedly used his political power to dole out favors to three New Jersey businessmen and acted as a foreign agent for the governments of Qatar and Egypt.
He and Nadine both pleaded not guilty to the crimes.