Henry Cuellar is facing a House Ethics Committee investigation following his indictment for allegedly accepting foreign bribes.
On Wednesday, Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest and ranking member Glenn Ivey released a statement saying they will preside over an investigative subcommittee that will look into whether Cuellar “solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities, or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violated federal money laundering laws; misused his official position for private gain; and/or made false statements or omissions on public disclosure statements filed with the House.
Cuellar was indicted by a grand jury on May 3 for allegedly accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities, the government of Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. He and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, are eachthat carry a maximum sentence of more than 200 years in prison. It is likely that sentencing in the Cuellars’ case would not result in the maximum penalties.
The Texas congressman declared that he and his wife were innocent hours before the indictment was unsealed, and he continues to maintain that he has committed no wrongdoing. “I respect the work of the House Ethics Committee,” Cuellar said in a statement. “As I said on May 3rd, I am innocent of these allegations, and everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas.”, whose race shifted from “likely Democrat” to “lean Democrat” on May 7, just three days after the Justice Department brought charges.
Cuellar has insisted that he is still running for reelection in November and “will win.” A member of the House’s centrist Blue Dogs and New Democrat Coalitions, Cuellar came to Congress in 2004. He is the sole House Democrat who opposes abortion rights, a flashpoint for several members of his own party.“He’s entitled to make his defense,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar said in the days following Cuellar’s indictment. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence.
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