Trump pardons Democrat Henry Cuellar ahead of his bribery trial
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued full pardons for U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife Imelda, who were indicted on federal bribery charges, conspiracy, and money laundering charges last year.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump issued full pardons for U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife Imelda, who were indicted on federal bribery charges, conspiracy, and money laundering charges last year.
Trump made the announcement in a Truth Social post, where he justified the pardon because Cuellar disagreed with “Radical Left Democrats.” Without evidence, Trump also accused President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice of targeting Cuellar because of his opposition to open borders.
Henry and Imelda were indicted in May 2024 for allegedly accepting $600,000 from an Azerbaijan state-owned oil company, and then laundering the money through a shell company. The pair were scheduled to go to trial next year.
After the pardon, Cuellar, who is still in office representing Texas’ 28th Congressional District, said he plans to run for reelection as a Democrat next year.
“It came as a surprise,” Cuellar told reporters. “I want to thank President Trump for this. … Now we clear the air. Nothing has changed, and we’re going to be ready to win re-election again.”
Cuellar is considered a moderate and he is a member of the Blue Dog Democratic Coalition. He repeatedly criticized former President Joe Biden over his migration policies while championing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s aggressive anti-immigration actions, like bussing migrants to large, Democrat-run cities.
