Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife had been indicted on conspiracy and bribery costs and taken into custody Friday in reference to a U.S. Department of Justice probe into ties between American enterprise leaders and the previous Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.From 2014 to 2021, Cuellar and his wife accepted almost $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled vitality firm and a financial institution in Mexico, and in alternate, Cuellar agreed to advance the pursuits of the nation and the financial institution within the U.S., in accordance to the indictment.Among different issues, Cuellar agreed to affect laws favorable to Azerbaijan and ship a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the ground of the U.S. House, the indictment states.The Department of Justice mentioned the couple surrendered to authorities on Friday and had been taken into custody.The longtime congressman launched an announcement Friday saying he and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, “are harmless of those allegations.”“Everything I’ve achieved in Congress has been to serve the individuals of South Texas,” Cuellar mentioned. “Before I took motion, I proactively sought authorized recommendation from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me a couple of written opinion, together with a further opinion from a nationwide regulation agency.“Furthermore, we requested a gathering with the Washington D.C. prosecutors to clarify the info and they refused to focus on the case with us or hear our facet.”Neither Cuellar nor his lawyer instantly responded to calls looking for touch upon the matter.The funds to the couple went by means of a Texas-based shell firm owned by Imelda Cuellar and two of the couple’s kids, in accordance to the indictment. That firm obtained funds from the Azerbaijan vitality firm of $25,000 per thirty days underneath a “sham contract,” purportedly in alternate for unspecified strategic consulting and advising companies.“In actuality, the contract was a sham used to disguise and reliable the corrupt settlement between Henry Cuellar and the federal government of Azerbaijan,” the indictment states.Imelda Cuellar despatched a falsified bill to the Azerbaijan vitality firm’s Washington, D.C., workplace underneath the settlement, stating her work was full.“In reality, Imedla Cuellar had carried out little or no reliable work underneath the contract,” the indictment says.Cuellar was at one time the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.The FBI searched the congressman’s home within the border metropolis of Laredo in 2022, and Cuellar’s lawyer at the moment mentioned Cuellar was not the goal of that investigation. That search was a part of a broader investigation associated to Azerbaijan that noticed FBI brokers serve a raft of subpoenas and conduct interviews in Washington, D.C., and Texas, an individual with direct information of the probe beforehand informed The Associated Press. The individual was not licensed to focus on it publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity.Federal disclosures present that the nine-term congressman traveled to Azerbaijan in 2013. Two years later, Cuellar’s workplace introduced an settlement between a Texas college and a company known as the Assembly of Friends of Azerbaijan for the needs of collaborating on oil and fuel analysis and schooling.Cuellar, one of many final anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, narrowly defeated progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros by fewer than 300 votes in a major race in 2022.e challenger Jessica Cisneros in a major race in 2022 by fewer than 300 votes.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife had been indicted on conspiracy and bribery costs and taken into custody Friday in reference to a U.S. Department of Justice probe into ties between American enterprise leaders and the previous Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.
From 2014 to 2021, Cuellar and his wife accepted almost $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled vitality firm and a financial institution in Mexico, and in alternate, Cuellar agreed to advance the pursuits of the nation and the financial institution within the U.S., in accordance to the indictment.
Among different issues, Cuellar agreed to affect laws favorable to Azerbaijan and ship a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the ground of the U.S. House, the indictment states.
The Department of Justice mentioned the couple surrendered to authorities on Friday and had been taken into custody.
The longtime congressman launched an announcement Friday saying he and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, “are harmless of those allegations.”
“Everything I’ve achieved in Congress has been to serve the individuals of South Texas,” Cuellar mentioned. “Before I took motion, I proactively sought authorized recommendation from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me a couple of written opinion, together with a further opinion from a nationwide regulation agency.
“Furthermore, we requested a gathering with the Washington D.C. prosecutors to clarify the info and they refused to focus on the case with us or hear our facet.”
Neither Cuellar nor his lawyer instantly responded to calls looking for touch upon the matter.
The funds to the couple went by means of a Texas-based shell firm owned by Imelda Cuellar and two of the couple’s kids, in accordance to the indictment. That firm obtained funds from the Azerbaijan vitality firm of $25,000 per thirty days underneath a “sham contract,” purportedly in alternate for unspecified strategic consulting and advising companies.
“In actuality, the contract was a sham used to disguise and reliable the corrupt settlement between Henry Cuellar and the federal government of Azerbaijan,” the indictment states.
Imelda Cuellar despatched a falsified bill to the Azerbaijan vitality firm’s Washington, D.C., workplace underneath the settlement, stating her work was full.
“In reality, Imedla Cuellar had carried out little or no reliable work underneath the contract,” the indictment says.
Cuellar was at one time the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
The FBI searched the congressman’s home within the border metropolis of Laredo in 2022, and Cuellar’s lawyer at the moment mentioned Cuellar was not the goal of that investigation. That search was a part of a broader investigation associated to Azerbaijan that noticed FBI brokers serve a raft of subpoenas and conduct interviews in Washington, D.C., and Texas, an individual with direct information of the probe beforehand informed The Associated Press. The individual was not licensed to focus on it publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity.
Federal disclosures present that the nine-term congressman traveled to Azerbaijan in 2013. Two years later, Cuellar’s workplace introduced an settlement between a Texas college and a company known as the Assembly of Friends of Azerbaijan for the needs of collaborating on oil and fuel analysis and schooling.
Cuellar, one of many final anti-abortion Democrats in Congress, narrowly defeated progressive challenger Jessica Cisneros by fewer than 300 votes in a major race in 2022.e challenger Jessica Cisneros in a major race in 2022 by fewer than 300 votes.
