Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar from Texas is expected to face indictment by the Department of Justice by the end of the day on Friday, as reported. According to sources familiar with the matter, the veteran congressman will be confronted with federal charges. The specific nature of these charges remains unknown as of early Friday afternoon. Cuellar’s residence in Laredo, Texas, as well as his campaign office, were searched by federal agents in January 2022.
It is unclear whether the impending federal indictment is connected to this raid. The investigation surrounding Cuellar and individuals linked to Azerbaijan was the focus of the raid. Subpoenas were issued for both the congressman and his wife, Imelda.
Cuellar, a former co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, released a statement to NBC News on Friday defending himself and his wife against any accusations of misconduct. However, he did not disclose the exact nature of the alleged crimes.
“I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas,” Cuellar said. “The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people.”
He added, “Imelda and I have been married for 32 years. On top of being an amazing wife and mother, she’s an accomplished businesswoman with two degrees. She spent her career working with banking, tax, and consulting.
“The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive.”
Cuellar confirmed to NBC News that he intends to seek re-election this autumn, regardless of the allegations outlined in the forthcoming indictment.
“Let me be clear, I’m running for re-election and will win this November,” he said.
Cuellar was elected to represent Texas’ 28th Congressional District in 2004. In 2022, the congressman won against his primary opponent, Democrat Jessica Cisneros, by a narrow margin of 281 votes to move on to the general election. He then defeated Republican candidate Cassy Garcia in the general election by a significant lead, with 57 percent to 43 percent.
As the only strongly pro-life Democrat in the House, Cuellar did not face a primary challenge this year and is expected to win another term easily. According to NBC News, his staff members were reportedly seeking advice from other congressional staffers on how to handle potential criminal charges against their boss.
