WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case, citing what he called a “weaponization” of the justice system.
Trump, who has argued his legal troubles are a partisan witch hunt, said on social media that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were being sued for criticizing President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, without providing evidence.
Trump, a Republican, said in social media posts that Cuellar was “brave enough to speak out against open borders” and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife “just for telling the truth.”
Federal authorities accuse Cuellar and his wife of accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman promoting the interests of an Azerbaijani-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation in favor of Azerbaijan and delivering pro-Azerbaijani speeches in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Cuellar said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial is scheduled to begin next April.
“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight,” Trump wrote in a social media post announcing the pardon. “Your nightmare is finally over!”
Lawyers for the Cuellars and a spokesman for Biden did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Cuellar still faces an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. The operation began shortly after he was indicted in May 2024 and was reauthorized in July. The committee said it is contacting the Justice Department to mitigate the risks associated with the dual investigations while still meeting its obligation to maintain the integrity of the House of Representatives.
Cuellar, who has served in Congress for more than 20 years, is a moderate Democrat who represents a district along the Texas-Mexico border and has a history of breaking with his party on immigration and gun issues.
He has been one of the strongest critics of the Biden administration’s response to record numbers of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. He was also one of the last Democrats in Congress to oppose abortion rights.
Cuellar is not the only Democrat Trump has pardoned this year. In February, he pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who five years ago had his sentence commuted in a political corruption case.
As with the Cuellar case, Trump said New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, faces federal corruption charges for comments he made critical of Biden’s immigration policies.
Trump did not pardon Adams, but after Trump took office, the Justice Department dropped the prosecution because Adams had begun cooperating with the Republican administration on immigration issues.
A senior Justice Department official who has been Trump’s defense attorney in multiple cases intervened and sought to dismiss the case.
___
The story removed an incorrect reference to Cuellar’s age; he was 70, not 69.
___
Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Kevin Freking in Washington and Juan Lozano in Houston contributed to this report.
