US President Donald Trump has announced a pardon for Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar, who last year was indicted on more than a dozen federal charges related to corruption and money laundering. His wife, Imelda Cuellar, was also included in the amnesty.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social, arguing that the case against Cuellar was the result of what he called the politicization of the Justice Department under the Biden administration. According to Trump, the pressure on the congressman stemmed from Cuellar’s criticism of the previous administration’s immigration policy.
The president also shared a letter from Cuellar’s daughters, Kristine and Catherine, who had asked that their parents be granted clemency. They suggested that their father’s independence and outspoken positions may have triggered the criminal prosecution.
Cuellar and his wife had been accused of receiving at least $598,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas company and from a Mexican bank. According to prosecutors, the funds were routed through fake consulting contracts and shell companies. The indictment also stated that the congressman acted in the interests of a foreign government.
The Cuellars denied the charges and maintained their innocence. The congressman temporarily stepped down as the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee but kept his seat and was reelected to Congress.
