{"id":2249071,"date":"2024-05-20T20:19:03","date_gmt":"2024-05-21T00:19:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/giving-someone-away-four-times-us-leaders-have-blamed-their-wives-in-times-of-turmoil\/"},"modified":"2024-05-20T20:22:38","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T00:22:38","slug":"giving-someone-away-four-times-us-leaders-have-blamed-their-wives-in-times-of-turmoil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/giving-someone-away-four-times-us-leaders-have-blamed-their-wives-in-times-of-turmoil\/","title":{"rendered":"Blaming Spouses: 4 Instances of US Leaders Pointing Fingers"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgiving-someone-away-four-times-us-leaders-have-blamed-their-wives-in-times-of-turmoil%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2249071&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Supreme Court Justice Samuel \u2062Alito and Sen. \u200bBob Menendez (D-NJ) resorted to familiar tactics, blaming their wives in times of controversy. Following in the footsteps of past politicians like former\u200b Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and ex-California Rep. Duncan Hunter,\u200d they used their spouses as shields,\u200d igniting debates on ethical standards and accountability in\u2063 political arenas. Supreme\u200c Court Justice Samuel Alito and Sen. Bob \u2063Menendez (D-NJ) turned to\u200c a common\u200c strategy of blaming their wives during turbulent times. Emulating\u2064 past leaders like ex-Virginia Gov. \u200bBob McDonnell and former California Rep. Duncan Hunter, they\u200d employed their spouses as \u2064scapegoats. This action sparked discussions\u200b on ethics and\u200b responsibility within the political realm.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Facing controversy, Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/samuel-alito\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Justice Samuel Alito<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/bob-menendez\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Sen. Bob Menendez<\/a> (D-NJ) have used an age-old political strategy to try and get out of their situations: blaming their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/marriage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>wives<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Alito and Menendez may have taken a page out of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell\u2019s and former California Rep. Duncan Hunter\u2019s playbooks, who, too, threw their wives under the bus when faced with legal trouble. While it may be a sound legal strategy, as spouses <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/spousal_privilege#:~:text=The%20spousal%20testimonial%20privilege%20precludes,dissolution%20of%20the%20marital%20relationship.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>cannot be compelled<\/a> to testify against one another, it could also be a stab in the back where the wife feels she is being given away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven how the public generally holds women to a higher ethical standard than men and expect them to take raps for behavior men routinely get away with, I could see how men might think blaming their wife for a misdeed could shield them from criticism,\u201d Jennifer Palmieri, a political strategist, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/17\/us\/politics\/alito-menendez-wives-blame.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>the <em>New York Times<\/em><\/a>. \u201cBut not when it involves your wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Alito says wife flew \u2018Stop the Steal\u2019 flag<\/h2>\n<p>In a report published last week, Alito<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3007682\/alito-questioned-wife-flew-upside-down-flag-yard-2020-election\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> came under fire<\/a> after neighbors claimed the Alito house flew an upside-down American flag, which, at the time, was a symbol of the \u201cStop the Steal\u201d movement surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection and former President Donald Trump\u2019s alleged attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. <\/p>\n<p>In response, Alito claimed no responsibility for the flag and said his wife, Martha-Ann, flew it. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Justice Samuel Alito and his wife Martha-Ann stand during a private ceremony for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020. (AP Photo\/Andrew Harnik, Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,\u201d Alito <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/16\/us\/justice-alito-upside-down-flag.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>said<\/a>. \u201cIt was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor\u2019s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to eyewitness accounts from his Alexandria, Virginia, neighbors, the flag flew for several days upside down after it was put up. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt might be his spouse or someone else living in his home, but he shouldn\u2019t have it in his yard as his message to the world,\u201d Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia, told the <em>New York Times<\/em>. She added that this was \u201cthe equivalent of putting a \u2018Stop the Steal\u2019 sign in your yard, which is a problem if you\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alito-questioned-after-wife-flew-upside-down-american-flag-in-yard-after-2020-election\/\" title=\"Alito questioned over wife's display of upside-down flag post-2020 election\">deciding election-related cases<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court is expected to soon hand down rulings on cases tied to the Capitol riot, including whether Trump, the 2024 presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has immunity related to criminal charges of trying to overturn the election.<\/p>\n<h2>Menendez places <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-raids-detroit-city-hall-council-members-homes-in-light-of-corruption-probe\/\" title=\"FBI raids Detroit City Hall, council members\u2019 homes in light of corruption probe\">alleged bribery scheme<\/a> on his wife<\/h2>\n<p>Menendez\u2019s lawyers have placed the blame on his wife, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/nadine-menendez-bob-menendez-wife-corruption-trial-allegations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Nadine<\/a>, for their alleged involvement in a foreign bribery scheme involving thousands of dollars worth of gifts, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2023\/10\/04\/politics\/nadine-menendez-car-crash\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>including a Mercedes Benz<\/a>. During the trial against the senator which started earlier this month, the prosecution said Nadine Menendez was<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/2968807\/bob-menendez-may-blame-bribery-charges-on-his-wife-documents-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> essential in orchestrating<\/a> the alleged bribery scheme, and the senator\u2019s defense team has also tried to place the blame on her.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Nadine Menendez and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) arrive at Manhattan federal court, Monday, March 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo\/Jeenah Moon)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe kept things from him,\u201d Avi Weitzman, Bob Menendez\u2019s attorney, said Tuesday in court. \u201cShe kept him in the dark on what she was asking others to give her. She was outgoing; she was fun loving. But she wasn\u2019t going to let Bob know that she had financial problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to prosecutors, Nadine Menendez and her friend Wael Hana introduced the Menendezes to Egyptian military and intelligence officials, which began the alleged string of bribes between the couple and Egypt and Qatar. <\/p>\n<p>Nadine Menendez began giving sensitive, nonpublic information to the Egyptians and facilitating U.S. relations via her husband\u2019s job in the government and Egypt, according to the indictments against them.<\/p>\n<p>Nadine Menendez\u2019s case is set to take place later this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3006424\/bob-menendezs-wife-undergoing-treatment-for-breast-cancer-amid-senators-corruption-trial\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>summer<\/a>. Bob and Nadine Menendez have both pleaded not guilty. <\/p>\n<h2>Former Virginia governor blames his estranged marriage for corruption charges<\/h2>\n<p>McDonnell, the former Republican Virginia governor, alongside his wife, Maureen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/view-host-ana-navarro-calls-allegations-against-friend-bob-menendez-serious-and-troubling\/\" title=\"Ana Navarro, host of 'View', deems allegations against friend Bob Menendez as 'serious' and 'troubling'.\">faced federal corruption charges<\/a> in 2014 for allegedly accepting more than $165,000 in gifts, including Rolex watches and vacations.<\/p>\n<p>The governor\u2019s lawyers alleged that his marriage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/eugene-robinson-robert-mcdonnell-throws-his-wife-under-the-bus-at-trial\/2014\/08\/21\/664c5ebe-2971-11e4-958c-268a320a60ce_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>was too estranged <\/a>for Bob McDonnell to be involved in the conspiracy. In court, Maureen McDonnell was painted as a \u201ccrazy wife.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 In this Feb. 8, 2017, file photo, former Gov. Bob McDonnell answers a reporter\u2019s questions during an interview on the grounds of the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. (AP Photo\/Steve Helber, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI knew there was no way I could go home after a day in court and have to rehash the day\u2019s events with my wife,\u201d Bob McDonnell testified, saying he moved out of the family home before the trial began.<\/p>\n<p>He reportedly said he thought his wife needed counseling and said staff in the Virginia governor\u2019s mansion signed a petition to quit if Maureen McDonnell\u2019s bad behavior did not improve. <\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>Former Virginia first lady Maureen McDonnell, right, arrives at Federal Court with her daughter, Rachel McDonnell, left, in Richmond, Virginia, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2014. (AP Photo\/Steve Helber)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe would yell at me,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/liveblog-live\/liveblog\/updates-day-19-of-the-mcdonnell-corruption-trial\/?id=c91c19ed-9e02-4408-b886-1320e9658214&#038;itid=lk_inline_manual_9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Bob McDonnell told the court<\/a>. \u201cShe would tell me I was taking staff\u2019s side, that I didn\u2019t know what it was really going on over there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also answered \u201cyes\u201d when asked by the judge if his wife had a \u201cstrong emotional attachment\u201d to the man who was accused of giving them the corrupt gifts but stopped short of saying if he believed there was a physical affair.<\/p>\n<h2>Former California representative says his wife controlled their finances<\/h2>\n<figure><figcaption>Then-Rep. Duncan Hunter, center, leaves an arraignment hearing Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018, in San Diego. (AP Photo\/Denis Poroy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When Duncan Hunter, a former Republican representative from California, and his wife, Margaret, faced charges of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-mccarthy-rep-gaetz-is-innocent-until-proven-guilty\/\" title=\"Rep. McCarthy: Rep. Gaetz is innocent until proven guilty\">misusing campaign funds<\/a> for personal reasons in 2018, Duncan Hunter said he was not aware of any wrongdoing because it was his wife who controlled the money in the family. <\/p>\n<p>When he was first charged with the crime, Duncan Hunter called the charges a \u201cwitch hunt\u201d and \u201cDemocrats\u2019 arm of law enforcement.\u201d One day later, he switched his legal strategy to place the blame on his wife, claiming that she handled the campaign finances and he had nothing to do with it.<\/p>\n<figure><figcaption>FILE \u2013 In this Aug. 23, 2018, file photo, Margaret Hunter, the wife of then-Rep. Duncan Hunter, arrives for an arraignment hearing in San Diego. (AP Photo\/Denis Poroy, File)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cShe was also the campaign manager, so whatever she did that\u2019ll be looked at too, I\u2019m sure,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2018\/08\/23\/politics\/duncan-hunter-wife-margaret-campaign-finances\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Duncan Hunter said of his wife.<\/a> \u201cBut I didn\u2019t do it. I didn\u2019t spend any money illegally.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong>CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He claimed Margaret Hunter handled both the campaign finances and their personal finances and that he was not involved. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lawyers-who-torched-nypd-vehicles-during-george-floyd-riots-plead-guilty-to-conspiracy-charges\/\" title=\"Lawyers Who Torched NYPD Vehicles During George Floyd Riots Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Charges\">pair pleaded guilty<\/a> to some of the charges, with Duncan Hunter being sentenced to 11 months in prison.<\/p>\n<p>Duncan and Margaret Hunter did not serve any of their sentences, as former President Donald Trump pardoned them both in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amid controversy, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) resorted to a common political tactic, shifting blame to their wives. Following the steps of ex-Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and ex-California Rep. Duncan Hunter, they attempted to deflect criticism by implicating their spouses<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2910,"featured_media":2249072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-20-May-2024-07-37-PM-7013.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2249071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/MixCollage-20-May-2024-07-37-PM-7013.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2910"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2249071"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2249071\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2249072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2249071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2249071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2249071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}