Henry Cuellar: US congressman and wife charged with taking $600,000 in bribes
The Justice Department has accused US Congressman Henry Cuellar and his spouse of accepting approximately $600,000 (£478,000) in bribes.
Allegations suggest that the couple illicitly received funds from an Azerbaijani government-owned oil company and a Mexican bank.
Denying the charges, the Texas Democrat emphasized innocence in a statement following their appearance in a Houston court, where they were granted bail. If convicted, they could face lengthy prison sentences.
Mr. Cuellar, aged 68, asserted, “I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations.”
Each facing multiple charges including conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and violating prohibitions on representing foreign entities, the couple is accused of laundering bribes from 2014 to 2021 through purported consulting contracts facilitated by intermediaries and companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, aged 67.
According to the indictment, in exchange for the alleged bribes, Mr. Cuellar purportedly agreed to sway US foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan and advocate for measures advantageous to the Mexican bank, such as changes to money-laundering regulations and efforts to impede regulation of the payday lending sector.
The Cuellars purportedly utilized the proceeds from the bribery schemes to settle various debts and procure items for their family, including over $58,000 (£46,000) in credit card payments, approximately $11,000 in car payments, $18,000 at wholesale establishments, and $12,000 for a custom-made gown.
Senator Robert Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, faces similar charges. He and his wife are accused of taking bribes in exchange for the senator using his influence to benefit the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
In the statement released by his office, Mr Cuellar vowed to keep campaigning for re-election in November.
“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,” he 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.”
Mr Cuellar was a lawyer and former customs broker before entering politics. He was first elected to Congress in 2004 and is a former co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic party leader in the House of Representatives, said Mr Cuellar would take a leave of absence from his post on a homeland security subcommittee while the case continues.
Mr Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo were raided in January 2022.
Authorities said at the time the raid was part of a federal investigation into Azerbaijan and US businessmen who have links to the country.
Mr Cuellar is widely considered a centrist and has been described as the lone anti-abortion House Democrat.
In 2022, he narrowly survived a primary challenge from a progressive candidate, Jessica Cisneros, who once worked as an intern in his office.
