Last year, Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were indicted on conspiracy charges and accepting approximately $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities. According to reports, the Cuellars began accepting bribes between 2014 and 2021 from an energy company based in Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico.
Despite being indicted in May of last year, Cuellar was reelected to represent the 28th District of Texas along the southern border with Mexico. Jury selection in Cuellar’s trial is scheduled to begin in March, with motions set to be filed by May. Jury selection will take place in late September. Cuellar has denied any wrongdoing in the allegations brought against him.
The Texas Democrat said, “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.”
A press release from the Department of Justice in May of last year reads, “An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas charging U.S. Congressman Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar, 68, and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, both of Laredo, Texas, with participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering. Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston.”
The DOJ continued, “According to court documents, beginning in at least December 2014 and continuing through at least November 2021, Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar allegedly accepted approximately $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities: an oil and gas company wholly owned and controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan, and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts.”
“In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan,” the agency said, outlining Cuellar’s alleged criminal activity. “In exchange for the bribes paid by 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 beneficial to the bank.”
Describing the charges, the DOJ said, “Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar are each charged with the following offenses and if convicted, face maximum penalties as indicated: two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal, five years in prison on each count; two counts of bribery of a federal official. 15 years in prison on each count.” Watch Cuellar comment on the matter below: