Representative Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and his wife faced indictment on Friday, charged with conspiracy and bribery. The case stemmed from an FBI raid on Cuellar’s South Texas home in 2022, part of an investigation into Azerbaijan and U.S. businessmen. The Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled oil and gas company and a Mexican bank between 2014 and 2021. In exchange, Cuellar purportedly agreed to use his influence to shape U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan and advance the bank’s interests in the U.S.
The indictment included 14 charges against both Cuellar and his wife, such as conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery of a federal official, wire fraud, money laundering, and acting as foreign agents. The couple made their initial court appearances in Houston and were each released on a $100,000 bond, according to the DOJ.
Among the allegations is that Cuellar used his position to push legislation and pressure executive branch officials to benefit Azerbaijan and undermine Armenia. This allegedly involved inserting language into defense authorization and government spending bills to increase U.S. security support for investments in Azerbaijan, as well as delivering a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the House floor. Cuellar is also accused of similar actions on behalf of the Mexican bank, including supporting legislation to block payday lending regulations and relax money-laundering laws.
Cuellar maintained his innocence, stating in a pre-indictment statement that he and his wife were innocent of the charges. He claimed to have proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee before taking any actions, which he believed were in the interest of the American people. Cuellar also mentioned that he and his wife had requested a meeting with Washington DC prosecutors to present their side of the story, but the prosecutors refused to discuss the case with them.
In response to the indictment, Christie Stephenson, a spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), stated that Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence. Stephenson added that Cuellar would step aside as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while the legal process unfolds.