President Donald Trump has granted a pardon to Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case, alleging a biased justice system. Trump asserted on social media, without evidence, that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, faced prosecution due to the congressman’s criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. Cuellar, who Trump praised for speaking against “Open Borders,” was accused of accepting money to support an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank. The congressman supposedly agreed to influence legislation in favor of Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech in the U.S. House.
Cuellar, 70, maintains his and his wife’s innocence, with their trial scheduled for April. Trump, in a social media post announcing the pardon, assured Cuellar that his ordeal was over. The Cuellars’ legal representatives and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately comment on the pardon.
Despite the pardon, Cuellar faces an ethics committee inquiry in Congress initiated in May 2024 following his indictment, with a renewal in July. The committee is coordinating with the Justice Department to manage the dual investigations effectively while upholding the House’s integrity.
Cuellar, a long-serving moderate Democrat from the Texas-Mexico border region, has a history of dissenting from his party on immigration and gun issues. He criticized the Biden administration’s handling of migrant influxes and is among the few Democrats opposing abortion rights. This year, Trump also pardoned another Democrat, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, years after commuting his corruption sentence.
In a parallel situation to Cuellar’s, Trump implied that New York City Mayor Eric Adams faced corruption charges for criticizing Biden’s immigration policies. Although Adams was not pardoned, the Justice Department sought to dismiss his case after he collaborated with the Trump administration on immigration matters, facilitated by a Justice Department official who also served as Trump’s defense attorney.
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