President Donald Trump introduced Wednesday that he’s granting a pardon to Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his spouse, who have been indicted on charges including bribery in 2024.
In a social media put up, Trump alleged that former President Joe Biden’s administration “went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s fantastic spouse, Imelda,” as a result of Cuellar “bravely spoke out towards Open Borders” and Biden’s immigration coverage. Cuellar, who’s a Democrat representing Texas, is a average who has typically bucked his get together on votes within the Home.
Rep. Henry Cuellar is seen within the U.S. Capitol, June 4, 2024.
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photos, FILE
Prosecutors alleged that Cuellar and his spouse, Imelda Cuellar, started accepting the roughly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and fuel firm owned by Azerbaijan’s authorities in addition to a financial institution headquartered in Mexico Metropolis.
Cuellar, of Texas, allegedly influenced a sequence of legislative measures concerning Azerbaijan’s battle with neighboring Armenia, and inserting language favored by Azerbaijan into laws and committee reviews governing sure safety and financial assist packages, in accordance with the indictment.
On this Jan. 6, 2015, file photograph, Home Speaker John Boehner of Ohio administers a ceremonial re-enactment of the Home oath-of-office to Rep. Henry Cuellar, accompanied by his spouse Imelda, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Cliff Owen/AP, FILE
Cuellar and his spouse pleaded not responsible to the costs and have been set to go to trial subsequent April.
Trump mentioned whereas he would not know Cuellar, he hopes he can “sleep properly tonight.”
“Your nightmare is lastly over!,” Trump added within the Wednesday social media put up.
Cuellar thanked Trump in a social media put up Wednesday.
“I thank God for standing with my household and I throughout this troublesome time. This choice clears the air and lets us transfer ahead for South Texas,” Cuellar mentioned within the put up.
Cuellar instructed reporters that he’s planning to go to the White Home Christmas Social gathering subsequent week to “thank the president personally,” including that he didn’t have advance discover {that a} pardon was coming Wednesday.
Cuellar additionally knocked down hypothesis that he would possibly be a part of the Republican Social gathering.
“I’m a conservative Democrat, and I’m very bipartisan, and I work with my Republican buddies after I have to work with my Republican buddies,” he mentioned.
Requested for response to Trump’s pardon of Cuellar, Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries mentioned “the precise final result has been achieved.”
“Henry Cuellar is a well-respected member of the Home of Representatives. A beloved consultant down in Laredo and throughout South Texas, and in my opinion, the precise final result has been achieved,” Jeffries mentioned.
Trump has made sweeping use of his pardon energy in the course of the first 12 months of his second time period in workplace, together with former New York Republican Reps. George Santos and Michael Grimm. Cuellar is the one congressional Democrat that Trump has pardoned to date, although he additionally granted a pardon to former Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The president has come underneath scrutiny for a few of his pardon actions, together with issuing a pardon to cryptocurrency mogul Changpeng Zhao, in addition to his pardon of Juan Orlando Hernandez, the previous president of Honduras.
