NYC NOW - Midday News: Hochul Seeks Federal MTA Funding, Columbia Student Sues Over Deportation Threat, and Nadine Menendez Bribery Trial Begins

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

Governor Hochul and top New York lawmakers are asking President Trump and congressional Republicans for more federal funding to support the MTA, citing its vital importance to New York City. Meanwhile, a Columbia University student is suing the Trump administration, alleging she’s being targeted for deportation over her pro-Palestinian activism. Plus, WNYC’s Samantha Max recaps the first day of Nadine Menendez’s federal bribery trial.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, March 25th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. New York Governor Kathy Hochle and top state lawmakers are asking President Trump to pony up for the MTA. The governor-legislative leaders sent a letter to President Trump and Congressional Republicans yesterday asking for more federal money for the New York City Mass Transit System. They say it's a matter of fairness since the MTA accounts for more than 40 percent of mass transit riders across America. Hockel and the leaders are in state budget

talks trying to come up with billions of dollars to pay for much-needed repairs and upgrades to the MTA's bus and rail systems. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has ordered the state to shut down Manhattan congestion tolling money to help pay for the MTA's last capital plan. A Columbia University student is suing the Trump administration, alleging it's targeting her for pro-Palestinian beliefs and attempting to remove her from the country for her speech. U.S. is 21 years old and has lived in the U.S. since she was seven years old. She holds a green card, which means she can legally and permanently live in the country. Chung says in the lawsuit that immigration and customs enforcement moved to deport her after her arrest this month for protesting at her university. It also says federal law enforcement told her lawyer that the government was revoking Chung's green card.

The suit aims to stop the administration from detaining and deporting her while the lawsuit plays out. The Department of Homeland Security says she'll have a chance to plead her case before an immigration judge. 52 with sunshine right now, mostly sunny on this Tuesday, a high of 57, breezy and gusty, and then tomorrow a chance of slim chance of afternoon rain, mostly sunny and low 50s. for a hug. Gold bars. Envelopes stuffed with cash, a brand new Mercedes-Benz. Federal prosecutors say Nadine Menendez acted as the go-between to score these lavish bribes for herself and her husband. That's after the break. I'm Sean Carlson for WNYC. Former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez was convicted of federal

corruption charges last summer. Now his wife is on trial. WNYC Samantha Max was in the courtroom for opening statements and is here to tell us more. Okay, Sam, prosecutors laid out their theory of the case in court. Can you just remind us what the Menendez couple has been accused of? So they have been accused of trading Bob Menendez's power for bribes. He was a U.S. Senator for New Jersey, a high-ranking member of the very powerful Foreign Relations Committee. And in court today, prosecutors described this year's long scheme, starting in 2018, when Bob and Nadeen Menendez started dating.

Fun fact, they started dating after meeting at an IHOP. There are a few different prongs to this case. One involves the Egyptian government and a halal certification company run by one of Nadine Menendez's friends. Prosecutors say Bob Menendez used his influence on the Foreign Relations Committee to help guide hundreds of millions in U.S. aid for the Egyptian government, shared sensitive information as well. And prosecutors say that helped the halal company get a monopoly for U.S. exports to Egypt. And then Nadine Menendez, they say, was rewarded with a no-show job. Prosecutors also say Bob Menendez tried to pressure prosecutors to stop pursuing criminal cases connected to New Jersey businessmen. And in exchange, they say the businessmen gave the couple thousands of dollars in cash, gold bars, and payments for a luxury car.

Now, Bob Menendez already went on trial, right? Why is Nadine Menendez being tried separately? So both of them were indicted together in 2023, along with three New Jersey businessman, accused of bribing them. One of those people actually pleaded guilty and has been cooperating. And then Bob Menendez and these two other businessmen were convicted on all counts. And Bob Menendez was actually sentenced to 11 years earlier this year. He is currently appealing that conviction, hasn't gone to prison yet. Nadine Menendez is being tried separately because she's been undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

answer. As jury selection was getting started last week, Bob Menendez criticized prosecutors for moving forward with trial just days after he said she had reconstructive surgery. He called the decision cruel and inhumane. He also tagged President Trump in that post. He seems to maybe be angling for a pardon. Here he is appealing to Trump after his sentencing earlier this year. President Trump is right. This process is political and it's corrupted to the cold. I hope President Trump cleans up the cesspool and restores the integrity to the system. So when that happened, he didn't answer questions from reporters explicitly about whether he's seeking a pardon. But as we know, Trump has accused federal prosecutors of politically targeting him and his own criminal cases and has expressed sympathy for other politicians facing charges, including Mayor Adams.

Yeah. Okay, now that we're up to speed in all of this, tell us what happened in court today. So today was opening arguments. got off to a very late start because someone was running late. In the meantime, Menendez, Nadine Menendez, was sitting quietly at the defense table, occasionally whispering to her attorney or jotting down notes. Sometimes she was sitting completely alone. Bob Menendez was not in court today. And she was wearing a pink face mask adorned with breast cancer awareness ribbons. Once things finally got started, the judge gave some basic legal instructions, and then prosecutors outlined their theory for jurors. They described Nadine and Bob Menendez as partners in crime, corruption, and greed. Prosecutors said that Nadine Menendez was

able to get her hands dirty in a way that the senator couldn't and accepted the bribes and also coordinated with the bribers. And then Nadine's defense attorney said the prosecution's case is piecemeal, and that there's an utter failure of proof. The defense attorney also said prosecutors need to prove his client had knowledge and intent to commit a crime and that they won't be able to do that. Okay. And about the minute we have left here, Sam, just tell us what happens next. So now begins a trial that's expected to last about nine weeks into May. There will be many witnesses who testify, different evidence that's going to be introduced. Prosecutors said that jurors will hear from the businessman who pleaded guilty and is now

cooperating with the government. They said officials who Bob Minend and attempted to sway will also testify. But the really big thing, this trove of evidence that has come in throughout the course of the investigation in this case is all of these text messages and emails exchanged between Nadine Menendez and her co-defendants, which prosecutors say lay out the case in her own words. We're in the meantime waiting to see what's going to happen with Bob Menendez's appeal, whether he's going to go to prison. It's important to note that it's become increasingly difficult for federal prosecutors to bring corruption cases like these. And under the Trump administration, everything is just very uncertain. So it's,

it's really kind of an unpredictable time right now. Interesting. That's Samantha Max. She covers courts and public safety for WNMIC. You can read her story on Nadine Menendez's trial on our news website, Gothamist. Sam, thanks so much. Thank you. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day For your top news headlines And occasional deep dives And subscribe wherever you get your podcast More soon