The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into allegations that Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) accepted bribes and engaged in official misconduct, the committee announced Wednesday.
Cuellar was indicted on federal charges this month for his role in a multiyear, $600,000 bribery scheme involving banks in Azerbaijan and Mexico. When a lawmaker is criminally charged, House rules require the ethics committee to decide whether Congress should also investigate the lawmaker’s conduct.
The committee voted unanimously to establish a four-person investigative subcommittee to determine whether Cuellar “solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violated federal money laundering laws; misused his office for personal gain; or made false statements or omissions in disclosure documents submitted to the House of Representatives.”
The ethics committee’s chairman, Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, will also chair a subcommittee investigating Mr. Cuellar’s conduct. Rep. Glenn F. Ivey of Maryland will be the top Democrat on the committee.
The ethics committee has often chosen to halt its work while federal prosecutors pursued lawmakers so as not to disrupt the Justice Department’s work, but it has taken a more aggressive stance in recent days.
After the committee released a scathing report that thoroughly investigated the conduct of George Santos, a habitual fabricator who then represented New York as a Republican, the House voted to expel him.
“The Ethics Committee recognizes the risks associated with a dual investigation and is in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate any potential risks while fulfilling the committee’s duty to protect the integrity of the House of Representatives,” the committee said in a statement about Cuellar.
Federal prosecutors have charged Mr. Cuéyar, 68, and his wife, Imelda, 67, with bribery and money laundering for acting on behalf of an oil and gas company owned by Azerbaijan’s leaders and an unnamed Mexico City-based bank. Mr. Cuéyar is also charged with acting as an agent for a foreign entity as a U.S. government employee.
A representative for Cuellar did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Ethics Commission’s investigation.
Cuellar has denied the charges in the federal indictment, refused to resign and vowed to run again for reelection. In a statement Wednesday night, he maintained his innocence.
“I respect the work of the House Ethics Committee,” he said. “As I stated on May 3, I am innocent of these allegations and everything I have done in Congress has been on behalf of the people of South Texas.”
The Laredo, Texas, native has served in Congress since 2005 and has amassed considerable power in her district and in Congress, establishing a record as a centrist Democrat who breaks with her party, including being the only Democrat in the House to oppose abortion rights.
On Tuesday night, retired Navy officer Jay Furman won the Republican nomination to challenge Cuellar in November. The district has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and Furman has said he plans to highlight the corruption allegations against Cuellar in his campaign.
