NEWARK — The defense in the bribery trial of Senator Bob Menendez rested its case Monday, shortly after the judge turned down a bid to have a mistrial declared over his rulings during the trial.

Neither the Democratic senator from New Jersey nor codefendant Salomon Melgen, a Florida eye doctor, testified during the trial, which is in its ninth week. Closing arguments are expected later this week after US District Judge William Walls and attorneys settle on jury instructions.

An indictment charges Menendez and Melgen with a long-running bribery scheme in which Menendez allegedly traded political influence for gifts, including flights on Melgen’s jet between the United States and Melgen’s home in the Dominican Republic. Both men say that the gifts were an expression of their longtime friendship, and that there was no bribery arrangement.

Among witnesses the defense team called were two US senators — Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who has known Menendez for more than two decades, and Democrat Cory Booker, who represents New Jersey alongside Menendez. Both testified that they knew Menendez to be honest and trustworthy.

On Monday Walls chastised defense lawyers for a mistrial request he said was devoid of ‘‘even palpable merit.’’

Lawyers had accused Walls during a weekend filing of tying their hands by limiting what evidence and witnesses they could present to the jury.

The filing alleged Walls’s rulings deprived the defendants ‘‘of their Fifth and Sixth Amendments rights to a fair trial, to an adequate defense, and to confront the witnesses against them.’’

In strongly worded remarks Monday, Walls chided the defense for failing to acknowledge that they are bound by the rules of evidence.

ASSOCIATED PRESS