The Justice Department has recently unveiled charges against Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, and his wife, Imelda. The couple is accused of bribery and money laundering in connection with their dealings with an Azerbaijani oil and gas company and a Mexican bank. This information was first reported by NBC News.
In January 2022, federal agents raided Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas as part of their investigation into the congressman’s ties to Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen connected to the country. Despite this significant development, Cuellar’s attorney, Joshua Berman, claimed that his client was not the target of the investigation.
Cuellar once served as co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. Whether or not his indictment has any connection to the earlier raid remains unclear as the Justice Department has declined to comment on the matter.
In response to these allegations, Cuellar’s staff have been seeking advice from other offices on how best to handle this crisis. Meanwhile, Cuellar himself has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. He insists that he sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee prior to these events and has received written opinions in his favor.
Cuellar also took time in his statement to defend his wife Imelda: ‘I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations…The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive.’
Despite these serious charges hanging over him, Cuellar remains defiantly committed to running for re-election: ‘Let me be clear, I’m running for re-election and will win this November.’
A year after his home was raided by federal agents — which resulted in no arrests or charges — Cuellar told the Texas Tribune: ‘There has been no wrongdoing on my part…’ He went on to secure victory over progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros in 2022 primary elections.
However, this indictment could potentially make Cuellar more vulnerable in the upcoming elections. In 2020, Joe Biden only managed to win over Donald Trump by 7 percentage points in Cuellar’s district.
Two Republicans will be vying for the chance to challenge Cuellar in a runoff election scheduled for late May. Delanie Bomar, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, has already called on him to resign.
Cuellar, a 66-year-old lawyer and former customs broker and Texas secretary of state, was elected to the House in 2004. He is currently the only Democrat left in Congress who opposes abortion rights — a stance that has angered many within his own party.
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