U.S. President Donald Trump granted a pardon to Texas Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and his spouse in a federal bribery and conspiracy scenario on Wednesday, claiming that the justice system had been “weaponized.” Trump, who has contended that his own legal issues were politically motivated, asserted on social media, without providing evidence, that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, were prosecuted due to the congressman’s criticism of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. Trump, a Republican, praised Cuellar for speaking out against open borders and accused Biden, a Democrat, of targeting the congressman and his wife for simply expressing their views.
Federal authorities had accused Cuellar, aged 70, and his wife of receiving monetary benefits in exchange for advocating for an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank. Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech in the U.S. House. Cuellar has maintained his innocence, and their trial was scheduled to commence in April next year.
In his social media announcement of the pardon, Trump reassured Cuellar, stating, “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight. Your nightmare is finally over!” The legal representatives of the Cuellars and a spokesperson for Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Meanwhile, Cuellar remains under investigation by the House ethics committee, which began its inquiry in May 2024 following his indictment and was extended in July to address dual investigations’ potential risks while upholding the House’s integrity.
Henry Cuellar, a moderate Democrat representing a Texas-Mexico border area, has served in Congress for over two decades, often diverging from his party on immigration and gun control issues. He has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the surge in migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and is known for his anti-abortion stance. Cuellar is not the sole Democrat to receive a pardon from Trump this year. Earlier in February, Trump pardoned former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, five years after commuting his sentence in a corruption case.
Similar to Cuellar’s situation, Trump insinuated that New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, faced federal corruption allegations due to his critical remarks about Biden’s immigration policies. While Trump did not grant Adams a pardon, his administration sought to dismiss the case against the mayor after Trump’s inauguration, with a top Justice Department official, who had also served as Trump’s defense lawyer, moving to drop the charges.
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