Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges Friday in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice probe into ties between American business leaders and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
Quick Read
- Indictment Details: Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were indicted on charges related to conspiracy and bribery, connected to their dealings with Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico.
- Allegations: From 2014 to 2021, the Cuellars allegedly received nearly $600,000 in bribes to promote interests favorable to Azerbaijan and the bank, including influencing legislation and delivering a pro-Azerbaijan speech in the U.S. House.
- Cuellar’s Defense: Rep. Cuellar asserted his innocence, stating that his congressional actions were intended to serve South Texas and claimed to have consulted with the House Ethics Committee and a law firm beforehand.
- Background and Investigation: The indictment follows a 2022 FBI search of Cuellar’s home in Laredo, Texas, linked to a broader investigation into Azerbaijani influences. Cuellar has previously been involved with the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and facilitated academic collaborations related to oil and gas between a Texas university and an Azerbaijani organization.
- Political Impact: Cuellar, noted for his conservative stance on abortion, narrowly secured his party’s nomination in 2022, defeating progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros by a slim margin.
The Associated Press has the story:
Dem US Rep. Henry Cuellar of TX & his wife are indicted over ties to Azerbaijan
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges Friday in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice probe into ties between American business leaders and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
From 2014 to 2021, Cuellar and his wife accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico, and in exchange, Cuellar agreed to advance the interests of the country and the bank in the U.S., according to the indictments.
Among other things, Cuellar agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House, the indictment states.
The longtime congressman released a statement Friday saying he and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, “are innocent of these allegations.”
“Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas,” Cuellar said. “Before I took 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.
“Furthermore, we requested a meeting with the Washington D.C. prosecutors to explain the facts and they refused to discuss the case with us or hear our side.”
Neither Cuellar nor his attorney immediately responded to calls seeking comment on the matter. Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice declined to discuss the matter.
Cuellar was at one time the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
The FBI searched the congressman’s house in the border city of Laredo in 2022, and Cuellar’s attorney at that time said Cuellar was not the target of that investigation. That search was part of a broader investigation related to Azerbaijan that saw FBI agents serve a raft of subpoenas and conduct interviews in Washington, D.C., and Texas, a person with direct knowledge of the probe previously told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Federal disclosures show that the nine-term congressman traveled to Azerbaijan in 2013. Two years later, Cuellar’s office announced an agreement between a Texas university and an organization called the Assembly of Friends of Azerbaijan for the purposes of collaborating on oil and gas research and education.
Cuellar, one of the last anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, narrowly defeated progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros by fewer than 300 votes in a primary race in 2022.e challenger Jessica Cisneros in a primary race in 2022 by fewer than 300 votes.
