Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and his spouse were charged Friday with accusations related to receiving almost $600,000 in bribes and illegally moving the money.
The charges filed by the Justice Department (DOJ) describe payments Cuellar supposedly received from an oil company owned by the Azerbaijan government and a Mexican bank.
The DOJ stated in a press release announcing the indictment in the Southern District of Texas that the bribe payments were allegedly moved through fake consulting contracts and various intermediaries into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who did very little actual work under the contracts.
In exchange for the bribes from the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar supposedly agreed to use his position to influence U.S. foreign policy to benefit Azerbaijan. For the bribes from the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures favorable to the bank.
Cuellar asserted that he and his wife did nothing wrong in a statement issued before the charges were revealed.
“I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas,” Cuellar said in a statement through his campaign.
“Before I took any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm. The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people.”
Cuellar, who is a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, will have to step down from his post as the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’s (D-N.Y.) office noted in a statement nodding to House rules.
“Henry Cuellar has admirably devoted his career to public service and is a valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus. Like any American, Congressman Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process,” Jeffries spokeswoman Christie Stephenson said in the statement.
Cuellar also mentioned earlier Friday he still plans to seek reelection.
“Let me be clear, I’m running for re-election and will win this November,” he said in his statement.
The Texas congressman narrowly defeated Democratic primary challenger Jessica Cisneros in the 28th District, which runs along the U.S.-Mexico border. Republicans have a May 28 run-off to determine who Cuellar will compete against for the swing seat in the majority-Hispanic district.
Cuellar, a moderate Democrat, has played an interesting role in the party. He’s the only Democrat that doesn’t support abortion rights and frequently bucks the party on border issues and gun regulations.
The indictment makes Cuellar the second lawmaker in the last year to face bribery charges relating to a foreign government alongside his wife. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and his wife are facing trial for accepting bribes and taking action beneficial to the government of Egypt.
Mike Lillis made a contribution.
The information was updated at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
