President Donald Trump announced a “full and unconditional” pardon for Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuéllar, who was accused of bribery, according to a post on the Truth Social platform this Wednesday.
The pardon also benefits the congressman’s wife, Imelda Cuéllar, the president noted, using his statement to criticize former President Joe Biden for allegedly weaponizing the Department of Justice against his political opponents.
“‘Sleepy Joe’ attacked the congressman, and even his wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for telling the TRUTH,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It’s un-American and, as I’ve said before, the radical left Democrats are a total threat to democracy.”
The Republican also stated that the reason for the Biden administration’s attack on Cuéllar, despite being a Democrat, was the lawmaker’s stance on immigration. He had also been openly critical of Biden’s immigration policies, stating in 2023 that he believed the administration was too influenced by the party’s left wing on the issue.
What were the accusations against Cuéllar?
Both Cuéllar and his wife were accused last May of allegedly accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from a state-owned energy company in Azerbaijan and a Mexico-based bank in exchange for favoring the country’s and the bank’s interests in the United States between 2014 and 2021, according to the charges.
The congressman, who has been a key target for the Republican Party, consistently denied the charges. He was reelected to his seat in South Texas in November, Politico reported.
“I want to make it clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these accusations,” he declared in May 2024. “Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas,” Cuéllar said.
Cuéllar’s Response
Through his X account, Cuéllar expressed his gratitude to the U.S. president and stated that the decision represents a “clean slate” in his work as a congressman for South Texas.
“I want to thank President Trump for his great leadership and for taking the time to review the facts. I thank God for supporting me and my family during these difficult times. This decision clears things up and allows us to move forward for South Texas,” Cuéllar stated.
“This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is over. The work remains. And I intend to face it head-on,” he concluded.
Image: DiarioNY
