US congressman and his wife arrested, accused of bribery and money laundering

Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife have been arrested in the US and charged with corruption in connection with an investigation into their ties to Azerbaijan.

Democrat Cuellar, who sits in the House of Representatives for Texas, says both he and his wife are innocent of the bribery and money laundering charges.

According to the Justice Department in Washington, the pair received nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and an unnamed bank in Mexico between 2014 and 2021. In exchange, Cuellar agreed to promote the interests of Azerbaijan and the bank in the United States, according to the federal indictment.

Among other things, Cuellar agreed to influence legislation that benefited Azerbaijan and to make a pro-Azerbaijani speech in the House of Representatives, according to the indictment.

Surrendered

The couple surrendered to authorities on Friday and were taken into federal custody, the Department of Justice said.

The longtime congressman released a statement Friday saying Khan and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, are “innocent of these charges.”

– Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas, said Cuellar, who says he has consulted with the House Ethics Committee in his work.

Cuellar further claims that they asked the prosecutors in Washington for a meeting to “explain the facts”, but that they refused to discuss the case and hear their version.

Shell company owned by the family

The payments to the couple allegedly went through a shell company that Imelda Cuellar and two of the couple’s children owned in Texas, according to the indictment. The company received payments of $25,000 a month from the Azerbaijan Energy Company, apparently in exchange for unspecified consulting and advisory services.

– In reality, it was a sham contract used to cover up and legitimize the corrupt agreement between Henry Cuellar and the government of Azerbaijan, the indictment claims.

68-year-old Cuellar has served nine terms in the House of Representatives and is considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the chamber. He is among the last Democratic abortion opponents in Congress and beat his challenger in the 2022 primary by fewer than 300 votes.