Trump pardons House Democrat Henry Cuellar
President Donald Trump has granted a full and unconditional pardon to Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, who was indicted last year on corruption charges including money laundering, bribery, and working on behalf of a foreign government. Trump justified the pardon by accusing the Biden administration of targeting political opponents through the justice system and praised Cuellar for speaking out against open borders. Cuellar and his wife faced allegations of accepting $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities. Despite criticism within his party and ongoing legal challenges, Cuellar remains popular in his Texas border district. Cuellar expressed gratitude to Trump for the pardon, stating it provides a fresh start to focus on serving his constituents. The pardon has raised surprise and mixed reactions, given prior GOP statements dismissing Cuellar.
Trump pardons Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar
President Donald Trump pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) on Wednesday after he was indicted on corruption charges during the Biden administration.
Trump cited the Biden administration weaponizing “the Justice System against their Political Opponents,” as the reason for his pardon, going on to say that the Texas Democrat was just “speaking the TRUTH” against open borders.
“I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda,” the president wrote on TruthSocial. “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!”
Cuellar and his wife were indicted last year in Houston, where they faced charges of money laundering, working on behalf of a foreign government, bribery, and conspiracy. Biden Justice Department officials claimed that Cuellar accepted $600,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank and an Azerbaijani oil and gas company.
Cuellar represents a district on the Texas-Mexico border, where he has made a name for himself breaking with his party on immigration and border policy, making him unpopular among some in the Democratic Party. Cuellar remains popular in his district after narrowly fending off a progressive primary challenger in 2022.
His trial was originally set for September, but was moved to April next year by a federal judge. The congressman had not yet been convicted and continiously pushed his innocence.
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Trump’s pardon comes as a surprise to many, as the National Republican Congressional Committee told the Texas Tribune on Tuesday that “Cuellar is broke, indicted, and completely out of touch with South Texans’ values.”
Cuellar responded to Trump’s announcement on X, saying: “I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.
“This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on.
“Thank you Mr. President, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the NRCC for comment.
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