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Representative Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks during a hearing of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee on April 10, 2024.
Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife are accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign companies, according to an indictment in federal court in Texas.
The scheme ran from late 2014 through at least November 2021, according to the indictment.
The congressman and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, made their first court appearance in Houston on Friday and were released on $100,000 bail. They face several charges, including conspiracy to bribe federal officials, violating the prohibition on public officials acting as agents of foreign principals, and money laundering.
Cuellar said in a statement Friday: “I want to make it clear that neither I nor his wife 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 that his actions in Congress were “in the interest of the American people” and vowed to continue his bid for re-election in November. The congressman also defended his wife, saying “her claims that she is neither qualified nor hardworking are false and offensive.”
“The actions I took in Congress were consistent with those of many of my colleagues and were in the interest of the American people,” Cuellar said.
Prosecutors say Henry and Imelda Cuellar organized a two-year scheme to receive bribes from foreign companies, including an oil and gas company “wholly owned and controlled by the Azerbaijani government” and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. He said he set it up.
In exchange for bribe payments from Azerbaijan’s oil companies, Kueyar “agreed to perform official duties in his capacity as a member of parliament, perform acts in violation of official duties, and act as an agent of the Azerbaijani government.” Bank, the indictment says.
Among these promises, prosecutors said Mr. Kueyar gave a pro-Azerbaijani speech on the floor of the House of Representatives and “a series of legislative measures regarding the conflict between Azerbaijan and neighboring Armenia,” including inserting language “preferred by Azerbaijan” into the law. He claims he has agreed to influence U.S. policy through the United States. The commission’s report recommends “a series of legislative measures regarding the conflict between Azerbaijan and neighboring Armenia.”
The Texas Democratic Party is also committed to protecting Mexican banks and their affiliates, including by pressuring the executive branch and supporting legislative changes regarding anti-money laundering enforcement practices that “threaten” the business interests of Mexican banks and their affiliates. He allegedly promised to influence financial regulation in ways that benefited the company. Money laundering criminal law.
Prosecutors say the couple received bribe payments through a shell company owned by Imelda Cuellar. They allegedly used the proceeds from the bribery scheme to pay taxes, repay debts, and spend tens of thousands of dollars at restaurants and retail stores. One of the purchases was a $12,000 custom gown, according to the indictment.
Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were searched by the FBI in 2022. The charges against Mr. Cuellar have not yet been made public.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries issued a statement shortly after Cuéllar’s accusations broke, saying he was entitled to the presumption of innocence. But Jeffries said Cuéllar will temporarily step down as head of the House Appropriations subcommittee while the investigation continues.
“Henry Cuellar has dedicated his career to public service with distinction and is a valued member of the House Democratic Caucus. Like any other American, Congressman Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and legally “You are entitled to a presumption of innocence throughout the process,” Jeffries said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee immediately called on Mr. Cuellar to resign.
“If his colleagues truly believe in putting ‘the people over politics’, they will demand that he resign. If he does not, they will not allow his comments about the public service to be put on paper.” He is a hypocrite who doesn’t deserve to be blamed,” NRCC spokeswoman Delaney Bomer said in a statement.
This article and heading have been updated with additional developments.
