Former President Donald Trump has issued a defence of Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar aft helium and his woman were indicted for allegedly accepting bribes.
Cuellar, who has been successful bureau since 2005, is simply a pro-life and pro-border information Democrat.
'Biden conscionable Indicted Henry Cuellar due to the fact that the Respected Democrat Congressman wouldn’t play Crooked Joe’s Open Border game,' Trump wrote connected Truth Social. 'He was for Border Control, truthful they said, “Let’s usage the FBI and DOJ to instrumentality him out!” This is the mode they operate. They’re a clump of D.C. Thugs.'
Two bribes, which amounted to $598,000, allegedly came from an lipid and state institution owned by the Azerbaijani authorities and a slope headquartered successful Mexico City. They were reportedly funneled done ammunition companies owned by Imelda.
'Cuellar promised to usage the powerfulness and prestige of his bureau to beforehand Azerbaijan’s and Foreign Bank-1’s interests successful the United States,' the DOJ claimed.
The brace were released connected $100,000 enslaved connected Friday. If convicted, they could each walk the remainder of their lives down bars.
Cuellar is the 3rd subordinate of Congress to beryllium indicted this legislature term, pursuing Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J.
Santos was ousted successful December but Menendez remains successful the Senate, though helium nary longer serves arsenic Foreign Relations chairman.
Trump has issued a defence of Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar aft helium and his woman were indicted for allegedly accepting bribes
At slightest 1 Democrat, Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., has called connected Cuellar to resign.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declined to telephone connected Cuellar to resign, but removed him arsenic seat of a cardinal backing subcommitteee.
Cuellar is “'s entitled to his time successful tribunal and the presumption of innocence passim the ineligible process,' said Jeffries, but volition 'take permission arsenic Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee portion this substance is ongoing.'
'The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, done a bid of beforehand companies and middlemen into ammunition companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. Cuellar performed small oregon nary morganatic enactment nether the sham contracts.'
The strategy ran 'at least' from December 2014 to November 2021. The mates faces up to 204 years successful situation if convicted connected each counts.
The Texas Democrat's location was raided by the FBI in January 2022 arsenic portion of an probe into his ties to Azerbaijani businessmen.
Cuellar insisted helium and his woman were guiltless successful effect to the news.
'I privation to beryllium wide that some my woman and I are guiltless of these allegations.'
'The actions I took successful Congress were accordant with the actions of galore of my colleagues and successful the involvement of the American people,' helium went on.
The embattled congressman said helium plans to proceed his run for reelection contempt the indictment.
Cuellar said helium and his woman tried to conscionable with prosecutors and they 'refused to sermon the lawsuit oregon perceive our side.'
'Imelda and I person been joined for 32 years. On apical of being an astonishing woman and mother, she's an accomplished businesswoman with 2 degrees. She spent her vocation moving with banking, taxation and consulting. The allegation that she is thing but qualified and hard-working is some incorrect and offensive.'
Cuellar said astatine the clip of the raid helium was cooperating with instrumentality enforcement and helium did not judge helium was the people of the investigation. It is not yet wide if the indictment volition beryllium related to that investigation.
The nine-term Democrat is simply a past co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, an obscure radical dedicated to furthering relations with the oil-rich federation connected the Caspian Sea.
Congressman Henry Cuellar is expected to beryllium indicted by the Department of Justice connected Friday afternoon, according to aggregate reports.
Cuellar insisted helium was guiltless successful effect to the quality - and suggested his woman would beryllium caught up successful the indictment
In that role, Cuellar is known to person met repeatedly with Azerbaijan officials, including the country's ambassador to the US, Elin Suleymanov.
Azerbaijan has been harshly criticized successful the past for bribing overseas officials and diplomats to unafraid its overseas argumentation aims and legitimize dubious predetermination results.
The signifier is truthful communal successful the state that it is known determination arsenic 'caviar diplomacy,' but it is unclear whether the FBI is investigating immoderate akin allegations successful narration to Cuellar.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (right) is seen gathering with Azerbaijan's ambassador to the US successful 2013. The FBI raid connected Cuellar's location is reportedly related to a probe into Azerbaijani activities successful the US
FBI agents person been spotted conducting a 'court-authorized' probe astatine the Texas location of United States Representative Henry Cuellar, who has vowed to cooperate fully
Since 2004, Cuellar has represented a territory that extends from the U.S. borderline with Mexico adjacent McAllen to Laredo, and northbound to San Antonio's eastbound outskirts.
The mean Democrat has a spot connected the almighty House Appropriations Committee.
Public records amusement that Cuellar purchased his luxurious Laredo location successful 2010.
The 6,000-square-foot, five-bedroom location successful a gated assemblage is valued astatine $825,000 presently by Realtor.com.
Cuellar, who represents overmuch of the Rio Grande Valley successful Texas, has been a vocal professional of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their handling of a surge of amerciable crossings astatine the border.
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