Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar from Texas has been charged with accepting $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities, according to an indictment released by the Justice Department on Friday.
Indictment Allegations
The indictment, obtained by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Texas, alleges that Cuellar and his wife participated in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering. They are accused of accepting bribes from an oil and gas company owned by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank headquartered in Mexico City.
Accusations and Alleged Actions
DOJ officials claim that the payments were laundered through front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Cuellar’s wife, who allegedly performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts. In exchange, Cuellar is accused of agreeing to use his position as a lawmaker to give preferential foreign policy treatment to Azerbaijan and influence executive branch officials to help the Mexico City bank.
Response from Cuellar
Cuellar denied the allegations in a statement, asserting his and his wife’s innocence. He emphasized that his actions in Congress were aimed at serving the people of South Texas and sought legal advice from the House Ethics panel.
Political Implications
The indictment is likely to become a significant political issue for Democrats, who aim to regain the House majority in November. Cuellar is stepping down from his role as the top Democrat on the Appropriations sub-panel overseeing Homeland Security funding, as required under House Democrats’ rules for indicted members.
Background and Endorsements
Cuellar has served in Congress since 2005 and was once the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. He is endorsed by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Minority Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar. Cuellar has faced primary challenges in previous election cycles but beat Jessica Cisneros, his challenger in 2022 and 2020.
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