UPDATE:
The Department of Justice indicted U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife Imelda on Friday with multiple charges for alleged conspiracy and bribery uncovered through a federal investigation into American businessmen with ties to Azerbaijan.
According to the indictment unsealed Friday in the Southern District of Texas, Cuellar and his wife accepted close to $600,000 in bribes from a state-owned oil and gas company in Azerbaijan and a bank headquartered in Mexico City between 2014 and 2021. In return, Cuellar advocated for the interests of Azerbaijan and the Mexican bank in the United States.
The DOJ alleges that the Cuellars' scheme also involved "unlawful foreign influence and money laundering" carried out "pursuant to sham consulting contracts" through "a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts."
A press release from the DOJ states that Cuellar's end of the alleged bribery scheme included an agreement to "use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan" and "influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank" in Mexico.
Rep. Cuellar and his wife were each charged with the following (listed with maximum penalties for each count if convicted):
- two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal (five years in prison each)
- two counts of bribery of a federal official (15 years in prison each)
- two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (20 years in prison each)
- two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal (two years in prison each)
- one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering (20 years in prison)
- five counts of money laundering (20 years in prison each)
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After the indictment was unsealed, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said via a spokesperson that "Cuellar has admirably devoted his career to public service and is a valued member of the House Democratic Caucus," emphasizing that the South Texas Democrat "is entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence" but — pursuant to caucus rules — "will take leave as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while this matter is ongoing."
ORIGINAL POST:
Democrat U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (TX) is expected to be indicted on federal charges announced by the Department of Justice on Friday according to sources reported by multiple outlets.
NBC News noted on Friday morning that while the nature of the indictment remains unknown, Cuellar — who was first elected to Congress in 2004 — had his residence and campaign office raided by the FBI in early 2022 amid a federal probe of American businessmen with ties to Azerbaijan. Cuellar previously co-chaired the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and was said to be cooperating with the FBI's investigation more than two years ago. His office later claimed that Cuellar was not the target of that investigation.
In a statement released by his campaign Friday morning, Cuellar declared that he and his wife "are innocent of these allegations" and said "everything" he's done in Congress "has been to serve the people of South Texas."
"These allegations have been difficult on my family," Cuellar lamented. "But, with your prayers, we will overcome." Despite the looming indictment from Biden's DOJ, a defiant Cuellar said he is still "running for re-election and will win this November."
More from Cuellar's statement that came out as reports broke the imminently looming indictment:
Imelda and I have been married for 32 years. On top of being an amazing wife and mother, she's an accomplished businesswoman with two degrees. She spent her career working with banking, tax, and consulting. The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive.
[...]
As the son of migrant workers, I was taught to wake up early and work hard. That's exactly what I've always done for the people of South Texas. I've devoted my life's work to creating jobs here, improving education, and securing our border.
Cuellar added in his statement that he "proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee" and obtained "an additional opinion from a national law firm" related to the matter, but an attempt to get a meeting with the Justice Department "to explain the facts" did not happen. "[T]hey refused to discuss the case with us or to hear our side," Cuellar said.
News: Henry Cuellar says he’s innocent as @NBCNews reported he’s about to be indicted by DOJ.
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) May 3, 2024
“I’m running for reelection and will win this November” pic.twitter.com/5k3NaXUJRz
According to the NBC News report, Cuellar's aides were "calling other member offices Friday seeking advice on how to handle the situation."
Cuellar has staked out a number of positions that run against the current of his party, including acknowledging the crisis raging at the U.S.-Mexico border and advocating for pro-life policies. The progressive wing of the Democrat party mounted a primary challenge to Cuellar in 2022, but the incumbent survived despite being mostly abandoned by national Democrats and his party's leadership.
That changed after Cuellar successfully fended off the midterm challenger running to his left, and the full slate of Democrat leaders in the House endorsed his 2024 bid last August.
The National Republican Congressional Committee on Friday afternoon called on Democrats to demand Cuellar's resignation. "Henry Cuellar does not put Texas first, he puts himself first," NRCC spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said in a statement. "If his colleagues truly believe in putting 'people over politics,' they will call on him to resign. If not, they are hypocrites whose statements about public service aren't worth the paper they're written on," Bomar added.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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