US Rep. Cuellar hit with bribery charges tied to Azerbaijan, Mexican bank

Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted for allegedly accepting close to $600,000 in bribes in two schemes meant to benefit an Azerbaijani state-owned energy company and an unnamed bank based in Mexico, court papers showed.

The indictment, returned by a grand jury on Tuesday and unsealed on Friday, said the bribes were laundered through sham consulting contracts into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, the congressman's wife, from December 2014 through at least November 2021.

In exchange, it says Henry Cuellar sought to use his public position to influence U.S. foreign policy in Azerbaijan's favor and to pressure U.S. government officials to help the Mexican bank lobby against anti-money laundering enforcement policies and payday lending regulations that threatened its business.

One of the most conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives, Cuellar is seeking an 11th two-year term in the Nov. 5 election. He represents a Texas district that borders Mexico and includes Laredo and parts of San Antonio.