Congressman caught taking bribes from an Azerbaijani energy company and a Mexican bank for influence on US foreign policy Original of this material
Henry Cuellar accepted $600 thousand in small tranches
The US Department of Justice has charged a Democratic congressman from Texas with bribery and conspiracy. Henry Cuellar and his wife Imelde Cuellar in connection with lobbying the interests of Azerbaijan in the American Congress. The couple were taken into custody on Friday. According to the indictment, from 2014 to 2021, Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife received approximately $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank. In exchange for this, it is believed that Cuellar agreed to promote Azerbaijan’s interests in the US Congress.
In particular, Cuellar was supposed to lobby for a bill favorable to Azerbaijan and make a pro-Azerbaijani speech at a meeting of the House of Representatives, the US Department of Justice indictment says.
According to the indictment, payments to the couple were made through a shell Texas company owned by Imelda Cuellar and the couple’s two children. The company received $25,000 a month from an Azerbaijani energy company under a “fictitious contract,” allegedly for some strategic consulting and guidance services.
“In reality, the contract was a sham and was used to conceal and legalize a corrupt agreement between Henry Cuellar and the Azerbaijani government,” – the indictment says.
In particular, the fact is cited that, under the terms of the contract, Imelda Cuellar sent a fictitious invoice to the Washington office of the Azerbaijani energy company upon completion of the work.
“In reality, Imelda Cuellar did virtually no actual work under the contract,” believes the prosecution.
Reuters writes that the Mexican bank in the congressman’s case may be Banco Azteca, owned by the large conglomerate Grupo Salinas, which is controlled by Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas. Forbes estimates his fortune at $12.9 billion and puts him in 155th place in the ranking of the richest people in the world. “At the moment we have no information on this matter,” the conglomerate told Reuters. […]
The congressman maintained his innocence. […] He called all actions as a congressman consistent with the actions of many of his colleagues and in the interests of Americans. He also stressed that he is running again for Congress in the November elections. The congressman and his wife were released on bail of $100 thousand.
Cuellar and his wife are charged with 14 counts, several of which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
“Everything I did in Congress, I did for the people of south Texas,” Cuellar said. “Before taking any action, I sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, which provided me with a written opinion.” The congressman claims that he also consulted with lawyers on all issues. “Furthermore, we requested a meeting with Washington prosecutors to clarify the facts, but they refused to discuss this case with us or listen to our side,” – the congressman said in a statement.
At one time, Cuellar was co-chairman of the Azerbaijan Caucus (an association of legislators for relations with Azerbaijan) in the House of Representatives.
In 2022, the FBI raided the congressman’s home in Laredo, Texas, but Cuellar’s lawyer said the congressman was not the target of the investigation at the time.
The Associated Press, citing a source with direct knowledge of the investigation, writes that the FBI’s search of the congressman was part of a broader investigation related to Azerbaijan, as part of which FBI agents sent out multiple subpoenas and conducted interviews in Washington and Texas.
The congressman traveled to Azerbaijan in 2013, according to federal government records. Two years later, Cuellar’s office announced an agreement between the University of Texas and the Assembly of Friends of Azerbaijan, which stated the purpose of cooperation in the field of oil and gas research and education.