'Gold Bar' Bob Menendez may blame alleged bribery crimes on his WIFE if Senator testifies at his trial, court filings show

Senator Bob Menendez may seek exoneration at his May bribery trial by blaming his wife Nadine, saying she kept him in the dark about anything that could be illegal about her dealings with New Jersey businessmen.

Menendez, 70, and his wife Nadine, 57, have also been charged with obstruction of justice as part of the federal bribery probe. 

The New Jersey Senator and his wife are accused of receiving cash, gold bars and luxury cars as part of a bribery plot to help the Egyptian government and help businessmen facing their own criminal investigations.  

The revelations about the man who has been nicknamed 'Gold Bar Bob' came from court papers unsealed on Tuesday.

Several lines in a January court filing by lawyers for the Democrat were unsealed in Manhattan federal court after some news organizations insisted that public disclosure was required.

Senator Bob Menendez may seek exoneration at his May bribery trial by blaming his wife Nadine (pictured right), saying she kept him in the dark about anything that could be illegal about her dealings with New Jersey businessmen

The revelations about the strategy for the man who has been nicknamed 'Gold Bars Bob' came from court papers unsealed Tuesday

Bob Menendez´s lawyers had redacted the documents, claiming that the sentences revealed trial strategy that could bias the jury pool. 

According to the passages that were unsealed, Menendez plans to testify about what he believes were exculpatory communications with Nadine if he decides to take the witness stand in his defense.

'While these explanations, and the marital communications on which they rely, will tend to exonerate Senator Menendez by demonstrating the absence of any improper intent on Senator Menendez´s part, they may inculpate Nadine by demonstrating the ways in which she withheld information from Senator Menendez or otherwise led him to believe that nothing unlawful was taking place,' the lawyers wrote.

As they sought to sever the trials of the senator and his wife, the lawyers said they planned to assert at trial that Sen. Menendez lacked the knowledge necessary to commit a crime and did not agree to any of the conspiracies outlined in the indictment against him.

With such a trial strategy, the lawyers said they may have to argue, in effect, that any crimes involved the actions of others, including his wife, rather than the senator. They added, though, that they were not aware of any unlawful conduct.

Although the motion to sever the trials was initially denied, Judge Sidney H. Stein has since ruled that they can take place separately after it was revealed that Nadine Menendez needs surgery in the next six weeks. Her trial is now delayed until at least July.

The Menendezes and two businessmen have pleaded not guilty to charges that they participated in a bribery scheme in which prosecutors say cash and gold bars were given to the couple in return for the senator carrying out political favors. 

Menendez has also refused to step down from his Senate seat, though he has not run in the Democratic primary to retain the seat this year. He remains open to running as an independent once the trial ends. 

Senator Robert and Nadine Menendez' engagement at the Taj Mahal, India

FBI agents seized gold bars, $500,000 in cash and the Mercedes during a raid on his home when the investigation began

Images of the gold bars federal agents seized from Menendez's home during the probe 

Last week, it was revealed the couple will be tried separately on allegations that they participated in the scheme, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

The New Jersey Democrat's trial will remain scheduled for May 6 in Manhattan federal court, while Nadine Menendez's trial was tentatively pushed back to July 8.

Bob Menendez chaired the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee until he stepped down from that role in September because of the allegations.

Prosecutors allege that in return for the bribes, Menendez helped one of the businessmen get a lucrative meat-certification deal with Egypt. 

Menendez helped another associate get a deal with a Qatari investment fund, an indictment alleges.

A third businessman, Jose Uribe, has pleaded guilty to bribery charges and agreed to testify against the others at trial. 

Uribe said he conspired with Nadine Menendez and others to provide her with a Mercedes-Benz in return for access to her husband´s power and influence. 

The senator's lawyers had claimed the warrants were 'riddled with material misrepresentation and omissions that deceived the authorizing magistrate judge.'