The Justice Department indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife on Friday for allegedly accepting bribes of close to $600,000.
The Justice Department indicted Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife on Friday for allegedly accepting bribes of close to $600,000.
The bribes allegedly came between 2014 and 2021 from an oil and gas firm owned by the Azerbaijani government and a bank based out of Mexico City. The payoff, according to federal prosecutors, went through a Texas-based shell company owned by Mr. Cuellar’s wife, Imelda Cuellar.
In exchange for the cash, the Texas Democrat agreed to push the interests of the Azerbaijani government and the bank in the U.S., the indictment said.
“Cuellar promised to use the power and prestige of his office to advance Azerbaijan’s and Foreign Bank-1’s interests in the United States,” the Justice Department claims.
According to the indictment, Mr. Cuellar agreed to influence legislation that helped Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.
The Justice Department said the couple surrendered to authorities on Friday and were taken into custody.
