Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) has just been indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Cuellar’s wife has also been indicted in an investigation connected to $600,000 in bribes they accepted from an Azerbaijan-based energy company and a bank in Mexico to advance the former Soviet republic’s interests in the U.S.
Federal law enforcement raided Cuellar’s house and office in 2022 as part of an investigation into a group of U.S. businessmen, and their ties to the country.
The representative and his office agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
BREAKING: Democrat Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife have been charged by the DOJ for allegedly taking $600,000 in bribes from an oil & gas company owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan.
That's now two Democrats in Congress indicted for taking foreign bribes. pic.twitter.com/YgYHnE4IZZ
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 3, 2024
Cuellar released a statement on Friday following reports of the upcoming indictment, declaring both himself and his wife as innocent without specifying the charges.
“I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations,” wrote Cuellar.
“Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of Texas.”
The Texas representative specifically defended his wife and her qualifications, once again without specifying the nature of the indictments.
“Imelda and I have been married 32 years,” he wrote.
“On top of being an amazing wife and mother, she’s an accomplished businesswoman with two degrees.
“She spent her career working with banking, tax, and consulting.
“The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive.”
Cuellar previously served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
NBC News reported Friday morning that the DOJ was preparing to bring the indictment against Cuellar.
According to the outlet, his staff were calling other member’s offices on Friday seeking advice on how to handle the situation.
Cuellar said in a statement ahead of the indictment that he and his wife are innocent.
“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 Texas Democrat said.
“The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people.
“These allegations have been difficult on my family,” Cuellar continued.
“But, with your prayers, we will overcome.”
Over the last two years, Cuellar has faced tough reelection cycles.
In 2022, he narrowly defeated a progressive challenger.
This year, two Republican candidates will face each other in a runoff election on May 28 for the opportunity to unseat Cuellar in November.
Though his seat is rated “likely Democratic” by the Cook Political Report, an indictment could slim his re-election chances.
This is a developing story.
Check back for updates.
