New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez trial date set for May in bribery case

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s trial on charges he pocketed bribes – including cash and $150,000 in gold bars – will begin on May 6, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Judge Sidney Stein, during a hearing in Manhattan federal court, urged prosecutors to get the ball rolling on the high-profile corruption case, which accuses Menendez and his wife of trading favors to help three New Jersey businessmen and the government of Egypt.

Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni said the pretrial “discovery” process has been delayed because some of it involved classified information, and said the evidence – described as “quite voluminous” – could take several more weeks to get through.

Stein said that the defense will have to submit all of its evidence by Dec. 4.

“I’m certainly going to try to hold to the dates,” the judge said.

Menendez, 69, was not in court after his lawyer argued that he had to be in Washington DC for his Senatorial duties.

His wife, Nadine Menendez, 56, was present at the hearing – with the same Gucci bag that she toted to court last week when she was arraigned.

The pair are accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes – including at least 13 ingots and a Mercedes-Benz convertible, according to a federal indictment.

They both pleaded not-guilty at their first court appearance in the case Sept. 27.

The senator was freed on a was a $100,000 bond, while his wife was released on on a $250,000 bond secured by the couple’s Englewood Cliffs, NJ, home.