Democratic U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife were indicted on conspiracy and bribery charges on May 3 in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice probe into ties between American business leaders and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan. According to the indictments, Cuellar and his wife between 2014 and 2021 accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. In exchange, Cuellar agreed to advance the interests of the country and the bank in the United States. Among other things, the indictments allege Cuellar agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House. "I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations," Cuellar said in a statement.
U.S. Congressman, Wife Indicted On Conspiracy, Other Charges In Probe Into Azerbaijan Ties
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar speaks at a Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 10.