In the ongoing federal corruption trial of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, new details have emerged about FBI surveillance of a dinner at Morton's The Steakhouse in Washington, D.C. According to testimony from two FBI investigators on Tuesday, the dinner included steaks, cigars, and booze, along with conversations that could have implications in the trial.

FBI investigative specialist Terry Williams Thompson, who eavesdropped on the dinner on May 21, 2019, testified that she overheard a woman, believed to be Nadine Menendez, the senator's wife, referring to Bob Menendez as "the love of my life" and inquiring about what else she could do for an unidentified diner. Nadine Menendez is set to be tried separately this summer.

Bob Menendez, along with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, is facing charges of engaging in a bribery scheme and acting as foreign agents for the Egyptian government. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.

During the trial, prosecutors have presented various pieces of evidence, including gold bars seized from the Menendez home, Nadine Menendez's text messages, and now, the testimony of FBI surveillance. The video and still pictures released by the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York document the dinner at Morton's, with the senator, his wife, and alleged co-conspirator Hana seated at the observed table.

Defense attorneys for Bob Menendez argue that the dinner should not be portrayed as evidence of any criminal activity, emphasising that the senator frequented Morton's The Steakhouse regularly, often dining with diplomats or friends. Adam Fee, one of Menendez's attorneys, argued that the dinner was just one among the 250 nights that the senator visited the steakhouse throughout the year.

However, prosecutors countered by stating that just because other dinners were not criminal in nature does not mean that some did not involve conspiratorial activities. In the case of the May 2019 dinner, multiple FBI teams at Morton's were monitoring other individuals present with Menendez.

In their testimony, the FBI investigators highlighted that the surveillance operation involved their disguising as a married couple on a dinner date. They sat at a table close to the observed group, documenting their actions through photographs, albeit without audio surveillance.

Although the investigators noted laughter and apparent harmony among the dinner participants, they did not observe any attempts to avoid being photographed or noticed.

As the trial enters its fourth week, both the defense and prosecution continue to present their cases. Bob Menendez tells CNN that he is confident in his defense attorneys' ability to show the truth by discrediting prosecution witnesses through cross-examination.

The trial will continue to shed light on the complex web of allegations surrounding bribery and foreign agent activities, determining the fate of the defendants involved.