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Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife have been indicted on bribery schemes involving unlawful foreign influence, bribery, and money laundering, according to the Justice Department. The indictment accuses the couple of accepting about $600,000 in bribes from the government of Azerbaijan and an unnamed foreign bank headquartered in Mexico City. Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. executive branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the Mexican bank. The couple each face a range of federal criminal charges, including money laundering, bribery of a federal official, and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. Cuellar has denied the allegations and stated that he intends to run for re-election this fall. The indictment comes more than two years after Cuellar’s home was reportedly raided by the FBI in connection with a federal investigation related to Azerbaijan. The fate of Cuellar’s seat could decide partisan control of the chamber, as control of the House is determined by a few dozen competitive seats this fall.
