(USNewsMag.com) – On May 29th, the House Ethics Committee announced it is investigating Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was indicted, along with his wife, Imelda, for allegedly accepting bribes and laundering the money.
According to the House Ethics Committee chair, Republican Mississippi Rep. Michael Guest, and House Ethics Committee ranking member, Democrat Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, the panel voted unanimously to launch an investigation into allegations that Cuellar “solicited or accepted bribes” or “violated federal money laundering laws.
Cuellar and his wife were indicted by the Department of Justice in May, charged with accepting almost $600,000 in bribes between late 2014 and at least November 2021. The bribes, from a bank that has its headquarters in Mexico City and from an oil and gas company that the Azerbaijan government owns and controls, were allegedly given in exchange for Cuellar to use his position to influence U.S. policy in Azerbaijan’s and the bank’s favor. They denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the 14-count federal indictment. The Cuellars face a maximum prison sentence of more than 200 years.
Following the indictment, Cuellar stepped down as the ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.
According to both Wild and Guest, who will preside over an investigative subcommittee, the Ethics Committee is communicating with the DOJ “to mitigate the potential risks” associated with House and DOJ investigations. Republican Virginia Rep. Ben Cline and Democrat Pennsylvania Rep. Madeline Dean will serve on the subcommittee.
Cuellar stated that he respects the House Ethics Committee’s work, adding that he is “innocent of these allegations.”
Only one Democrat, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, has publicly called for Cuellar to resign. Many Democrats are instead saying that he should have his day in court. Phillips has also called for New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and former President Donald Trump to resign or end their campaigns due to their indictments.
Cuellar, who was first elected to Congress in 2004, is running for reelection in November and continues to say he “will win.”
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