The Justice Department is expected to indict South Texas U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar on Friday, NBC News reports, citing two sources familiar with the plans. A person familiar with the situation also told Politico that the long-serving Democrat's wife Imelda also is expected to face indictment.
Federal authorities raided Cuellar's Laredo home and campaign office in January 2022 as part of a probe into the oil-rich country of Azerbaijan. The congressman, whose district extends from the border to a portion of San Antonio, promised at the time to cooperate but denied any wrongdoing.
Although Cuellar once served as co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and has advocated for the Central Asian Country, NBC reports that it's unclear whether the pending indictment is related to the earlier raid.
Cuellar acknowledged the news reports Friday morning in an emailed statement, adding that he'd sought legal advice from the House Ethics panel as well as an additional opinion from a national law firm. He didn't say what charges he now faces.
“I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations," he said. "Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas."
Cuellar continued: “Imelda and I have been married for 32 years. On top of being an amazing wife and mother, she's an accomplished businesswoman with two degrees. She spent her career working with banking, tax and consulting. The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive."
An investigation by online news site The Intercept catalogued Cuellar's links to Azerbaijan, reporting that he's "had close ties" with the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan, a group previously investigated by the FBI. That organization's president pleaded guilty in 2018 to charges of soliciting help from Congress while representing Azerbaijan's wholly owned oil and gas company.
Among the other Azerbaijan ties The Intercept unearthed were U.S. House documents showing Cuellar and his wife accepted a $20,000 trip to the former Soviet republic in 2013. The trip was reportedly approved by the House Ethics Committee.
In his emailed statement, Cuellar said pending legal action won't deter him from seeking another term.
"Let me be clear, I’m running for re-election and will win this November,” he added.
Despite the high-profile 2022 raid, which occurred shortly before a tough primary election, Cuellar won a 10th term in the U.S. House that year.
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Reports: South Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar to be indicted by Justice Department
In 2022, the FBI raided Cuellar's Laredo home and campaign office.
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