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US President Donald Trump pardoned respe Democratic rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in the bribery and graft case of this union on Wednesday, finding what he called a “fake” plan.
Trump, who has indicated that his legal concerns were a social disaster without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, were prosecuted because of the policies of President Joe Briden.
Trump, a Republican, said Cuellar “spoke courageously against open borders,” and accused Biden, a Democrat, after going after the Congressman and his wife for “speaking the truth.”
Federal authorities have accused Cuellar, 70, and his wife of accepting thousands of dollars to promote the Congressman’s interests in an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence pro-Azerbaijan legislation and bring pro-Azerbaijan rhetoric to the floor of the US House.
Cuellar said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial was set for a preliminary hearing in April.
“Henry, I don’t know about you, but you can sleep well tonight,” Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the pardon. “Your night is finally here!”
Cuellels’ attorneys and a spokesman for Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Cuellar is still facing an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. It started in May 2024, shortly after his impeachment, and was resurrected in July.
The committee said it is communicating with the justice department about mitigating the risks associated with dual investigations while still meeting its responsibilities to protect the integrity of the House.
Not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned
Cuellar, who has served in Congress for more than 20 years, is a moderate Democrat who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border and has a history of breaking with his party when it comes to guns and firearms.
He has been among the most vocal critics of Biden’s handling of the Biden Administration’s response to a record number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico border. He is one of the last Democrats in Congress who opposes abortion rights.
Cuellar is not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned this year. In February, he was previously pardoned by Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, five years after serving his sentence in a political fraud trial.
As in Cuellar’s case, Trump suggested that the mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, a Democrat, is facing a federal corruption case, because he made comments criticizing Biden’s immigration policies.
Trump did not pardon Adams, but after Trump took office, the Justice Department moved to drop the case against the mayor, who had begun working with Republican administrations on immigration issues.
The senior judicial officer, who had also served as a defense attorney in many of his cases, moved to seek dismissal in the case.
