Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife have been indicted by the Justice Department on charges of conspiracy and accepting almost $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities.
According to prosecutors, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, allegedly started receiving bribes of approximately $600,000 from an oil and gas company owned by Azerbaijan’s government and a bank based in Mexico City as early as December 2014.
According to the indictment, Rep. Cuellar’s wife is accused of establishing fake companies to launder payments by falsely claiming to offer consulting services to the two companies. It is alleged that she did not actually perform any legitimate work under the contracts. Meanwhile, Rep. Cuellar was making promises to use his position to support Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and exert influence over high-ranking officials in the executive branch to benefit the Mexico City bank.
According to the indictment, Cuellar exerted influence on a number of legislative measures concerning the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He incorporated language into legislation and committee reports that favored Azerbaijan, specifically pertaining to certain security and economic aid programs. Additionally, he provided consultation to representatives of Azerbaijan, aiding their lobbying efforts towards the U.S. government.
During his tenure as co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, Cuellar had the opportunity to meet with various Azerbaijan officials, including Ambassador Elin Suleymanov.
According to the indictment, Cuellar is accused of accepting bribes in exchange for using his influence to benefit the Mexico City bank and its affiliates by influencing federal regulation of the financial industry.
According to the indictment, Cuellar is accused of providing advice and exerting pressure on executive branch officials in relation to anti-money laundering enforcement practices that posed a threat to the bank’s business interests. Additionally, he is alleged to have supported legislation aimed at preventing federal regulation of the payday lending industry and advocated for changes to money laundering statutes that were favored by the Mexican corporate conglomerate to which the bank belonged.
Cuellar and his wife appeared before a magistrate judge in Houston for their initial hearing, as confirmed by the Justice Department.
Cuellar and his wife are facing a range of charges, with potential maximum penalties for each offense. These charges include 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, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count. Additionally, they are charged with two counts of bribery of a federal official, which could result in a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for each count.
Furthermore, they face two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, with a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. In addition, there are two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal, carrying a maximum sentence of two years in prison for each count.
Additionally, they are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, which could result in a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Finally, they face five counts of money laundering, with a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count.
Cuellar vehemently asserted his innocence earlier on Friday.
Cuellar stated in a press release that he and his wife are innocent of the allegations. He emphasized that his actions in Congress have always been driven by his commitment to serving the people of South Texas.
According to Christie Stephenson, spokesperson for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Representative Cuellar will temporarily step down from his position as ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while the investigation is underway.
According to Stephenson, it is important to acknowledge that Rep. Cuellar has the right to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process.
Cuellar has been serving in Congress since 2005. He represents Texas’ 28th Congressional District, which is located along the U.S.-Mexico border.
