Trump pardons Rep. Henry Cuellar and wife
President Trump granted full pardons to Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, who had been indicted on bribery and conspiracy charges alleging they took nearly $600,000 to advance an Azerbaijan‑controlled energy company and a Mexican bank, including agreeing to influence legislation and deliver a pro‑Azerbaijan House floor speech; their trial had been scheduled to begin next April. Cuellar, a conservative Democrat from a competitive U.S.–Mexico border district, says he is innocent, will remain in the Democratic Party and thanked Trump, while Trump called the prosecution "weaponized" and tied it to criticisms of Biden’s border policies. The White House defended the broader use of clemency as Trump has granted pardons or commutations to roughly a dozen current and former lawmakers.
đź“Ś Key Facts
- President Trump granted clemency to Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in a bribery and conspiracy case.
- Prosecutors had charged the Cuellars with taking nearly $600,000 in payments to advance an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank, including agreeing to influence legislation and deliver a pro‑Azerbaijan House floor speech.
- The couple’s trial had been scheduled to begin next April; Cuellar says he and his wife are innocent.
- Trump called the prosecution “weaponized,” praised Cuellar for opposing “Open Borders,” and linked the case to Biden administration policies; Cuellar publicly thanked Trump and said he believes he was targeted by the Biden administration.
- Cuellar said he will remain a “conservative blue dog” Democrat and will not switch parties; he also said Trump’s team contacted him during the investigation and some of Trump’s allies have since reached out to work with him.
- Cuellar called the indictment timing “very suspect” (about 40 days before his election), said roughly $20 million was spent against him in the primary, and said he had a legal opinion and two ethics opinions supporting him before the DOJ proceeded.
- The White House defended Trump’s use of clemency and criticized pardons by President Biden; Axios reported roughly a dozen current or former members of Congress have received clemency from Trump and noted other lawmakers who have been granted reprieves or commutations (e.g., George Santos, Rod Blagojevich, Michael Grimm, John Rowland).
đź“° Sources (5)
Trump's lawmaker pardon list stretches beyond Henry Cuellar
New information:
- White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended Trump’s use of clemency, stating 'the only pardons anyone should be critical of' were those signed by former President Biden.
- Axios reports roughly a dozen current or former members of Congress have received clemency from Trump.
- Adds context that Trump commuted former Rep. George Santos’ sentence in October and lists other ex-lawmakers granted clemency (e.g., Rod Blagojevich, Michael Grimm, John Rowland).
House Dem pardoned by Trump reveals whether he will switch political parties
New information:
- Rep. Henry Cuellar says he will not switch parties and will remain a 'conservative blue dog' Democrat.
- Cuellar publicly thanks President Trump for the pardon and says he 'absolutely' believes the Biden administration targeted him.
- He says Trump’s team called him during the investigation and that 'some of [Trump’s] folks' have since reached out to work with him.
- Cuellar claims the indictment timing was 'very suspect'—about 40 days before his election—and says roughly $20 million was spent against him in the primary.
- He says he had a legal opinion and two ethics opinions supporting him before DOJ moved forward.
Trump Pardons Texas Democrat Indicted on Bribery Charges
New information:
- The alleged bribe total is specified as nearly $600,000.
- Trump’s stated rationale includes that Cuellar was 'punished' for speaking out against the former president’s border policies.
- WSJ notes Cuellar represents a competitive district on the U.S.–Mexico border.
Trump pardons Cuellar in bribery and conspiracy case
New information:
- Details of alleged scheme: prosecutors charged the Cuellars with taking payments to advance an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank.
- Specific alleged actions: agreement to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan House floor speech.
- Case posture: the couple’s trial had been scheduled to begin next April; Cuellar maintains he and his wife are innocent.
- Trump’s stated rationale: he called the case 'weaponized,' praising Cuellar for speaking out against 'Open Borders' and linking the prosecution to Biden’s policies.