In a significant blow to the prosecution, a federal judge has ruled that crucial text messages cannot be presented as evidence in the ongoing bribery trial of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein's decision on Friday prohibits prosecutors from utilizing texts from 2019 that allegedly show Menendez assuring Egypt and New Jersey businessmen involved in the case that he was not delaying military aid to the country.

The excluded text messages were said to be "critical" to the prosecution's case, as they purportedly demonstrated a connection between Menendez's political influence and the alleged bribes he received. The messages in question suggested that Egypt, concerned about potential delays in military aid, reached out to the senator through the businessmen who are accused of providing him with cash, gold bars, and other valuable items.

Additionally, a text from 2022 allegedly sent by Menendez's wife, Nadine, containing a link about pending foreign military sales to Egypt and mentioning the senator's involvement, will also be withheld from the jury's view. Prosecutors claimed that this text implied a quid pro quo arrangement, wherein the flow of bribes would secure favorable treatment for the businessmen regarding military aid.

Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni argued that excluding these texts could complicate the case against Menendez in relation to Egypt and military aid. However, the senator still faces a range of other charges in the corruption trial, which has now entered its third week and is anticipated to continue until early July.

During the trial, several witnesses have taken the stand, shedding light on various aspects of the case. These include an FBI agent who searched Menendez's New Jersey home in June 2022, an agriculture attaché who raised concerns about Egypt awarding a halal certification monopoly to one of the businessmen, and a lawyer associated with the halal company who testified about a payment made to a lender of Menendez's wife, aimed at preventing their home from foreclosure.

The exclusion of these text messages adds complexities for the prosecution, as they sought to establish a direct link between Menendez's actions and the alleged bribes. With the trial set to continue in the coming weeks, both sides will present their arguments as they strive to shape the outcome of this high-profile case.