Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, speaks during a hearing of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations on Capitol Hill, April 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a full pardon for embattled Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, clearing him of the federal bribery and money-laundering case that had shadowed his 2024 re-election.
Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in the US House, survived an 11th-term bid even as prosecutors accused him and his wife, Imelda, of accepting nearly $600,000 in payments routed through shell companies linked to an Azerbaijan-backed enterprise and a Mexico City–based bank. The indictment, filed in May, alleged the couple laundered the funds through family-controlled entities.
Trump, in a blistering post on Truth Social, framed the pardon as part of his effort to reverse what he called politically motivated prosecutions. He accused Democrats of “weaponising” the justice system and targeting opponents. “Because of these facts, and others, I am granting a full and unconditional pardon to Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar and to Imelda,” Trump wrote, adding, “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — your nightmare is finally over.”
Cuellar, who served eight terms in the Texas legislature before entering Congress in 2004, had long been viewed as a centrist Democrat. But the indictment left him politically exposed and fighting to defend his record as he sought another term.
The Justice Department has not yet commented on the implications of the presidential pardon for the broader case.
