Texas Rep. Cuellar indicted on bribery, money laundering charges
- Cuellar was once co-chair of the Azerbaijan Caucus
- He has promoted educational trips to the oil-rich nation
- Cuellar denies all allegations against him and his wife
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(NewsNation) — The Justice Department has indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, and his wife on charges of bribery, unlawful foreign influence and money laundering.
The indictment claims Cuellar and his wife accepted bribes from a company owned by Azerbaijan and a foreign bank located in Mexico in exchange for advancing their interests in the U.S. That, investigators say, included affecting foreign policy regarding Azerbaijan, particularly regarding the country’s decadeslong conflict with Armenia.
In a statement, Cuellar said he and his wife are innocent of all allegations and accused prosecutors of being unwilling to hear their side of things. Cuellar did not address any specific pending charges in the statement but suggested he sought out legal advice on what would appear to be the subject of the allegations and also referenced his wife’s professional background.
“Furthermore, we requested a meeting with the Washington DC prosecutors to explain the facts
and they refused to discuss the case with us or to hear our side,” he said.
Cuellar also said all actions he has taken while in Congress have been for the benefit of the people of Texas.
In a statement, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and presumption of innocence and announced that per House rules, Cuellar would take leave from his position as ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while the indictment is ongoing.
Cuellar’s home was raided in 2022 as part of the investigation, and he maintained his innocence at the time. At one point a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, he promoted educational trips to the country.
Previously part of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan is a majority Muslim country that gained independence in 1991. The oil-rich country has a reputation for corruption and inequality, with some saying it is run by an authoritarian government.
Cuellar, a centrist Democrat, is running for reelection in November after defeating a progressive challenger in the primary.
NewsNation has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
Read the full indictment:
The Hill contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
