Trump, House Dems defend Texas congressman accused of accepting Mexican bribes, but for very different reasons

Former President Trump and the Democratic House Caucus some came to the defence of Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was indicted for allegedly taking bribes to payment a Mexican slope and the Azerbaijan government. 

While Trump and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., some nodded to Cuellar's respectable reputation, the presumptive Republican statesmanlike nominee went a measurement further, accusing President Biden of utilizing the Justice Department to retaliate against the Democratic congressman for demanding tougher borderline information policies – stepping extracurricular the enactment line. 

Aguilar, meanwhile, praised Cuellar's grounds of having "deep relationships with Republican colleagues and Democratic colleagues connected some sides of the aisle," arguing that portion the allegations against him are "very serious," they are besides "very different" from the indictments faced by erstwhile Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. 

At Tuesday’s enactment property conference, Aguilar was asked wherefore helium and different Democratic colleagues had not called connected Cuellar to resign oregon beryllium expelled from Congress arsenic they had done aft Santos was indicted by the Justice Department connected fraud, individuality theft, falsification of records, recognition paper fraud and different charges. Santos was yet expelled aft conscionable 1 twelvemonth successful Congress pursuing a scathing House morals report. 

DEMOCRATIC TEXAS REP. HENRY CUELLAR INDICTED BY DOJ ON CONSPIRACY AND BRIBERY CHARGES

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, was indictment successful transportation to alleged bribery schemes to payment a Mexican slope and the authorities of Azerbaijan. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"This is an incredibly superior issue. It's not mislaid connected House Democrats however superior this is. Representative Cuellar has done the close happening successful stepping down from his committees, stepping down from his presumption arsenic main lawman whip and ranking subordinate of the Homeland Security Subcommittee," Aguilar said. "He's entitled to marque his defense. He is entitled to the presumption of innocence. We look guardant to that process playing out. And conscionable similar each American is entitled to that presumption, I deliberation that's the overwhelming feeling of House Democrats astatine this point." 

In a Truth Social station days earlier, Trump addressed the indictment against Cuellar, whose territory sits on the U.S.-Mexico border.

"Biden conscionable Indicted Henry Cuellar due to the fact that the Respected Democrat Congressman wouldn’t play Crooked Joe’s Open Border game," Trump claimed Sunday. "He was for Border Control, truthful they said, ‘Let’s usage the FBI and DOJ to instrumentality him out!’ This is the mode they operate. They’re a clump of D.C. Thugs, and astatine immoderate constituent they volition beryllium paying a precise large terms for what they person done to our Country." 

"CROOKED JOE BIDEN IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY!" Trump added. 

In a national indictment unsealed successful the Southern District of Texas connected Friday, Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were charged with accepting astir $600,000 from Azerbaijan’s state-owned lipid institution and a Mexican slope successful speech for authoritative acts arsenic a subordinate of Congress successful 2 schemes involving bribery, unlawful overseas power and wealth laundering. 

The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, done a bid of beforehand companies and middlemen into ammunition companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, "who performed small to nary morganatic enactment nether the contracts," the Justice Department said. The schemes were said to person been carried retired from astatine slightest December 2014 done astatine slightest November 2021. 

In speech for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani lipid and state company, Rep. Cuellar allegedly agreed to usage his bureau to power U.S. overseas argumentation successful favour of Azerbaijan, according to tribunal documents. Rep. Cuellar besides allegedly agreed to power legislative enactment and "to counsel and unit high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial" to the Mexican bank. 

Former President Trump extracurricular his hush-money proceedings astatine Manhattan Criminal Court connected May 7, 2024 successful New York City. Trump claimed President Biden was targeting Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, implicit his borderline stance. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The indictment centers astir Banco Azteca, owned by 1 of Mexico's richest men, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, The Wall Street Journal reported connected Wednesday, citing an unnamed U.S. official. Federal prosecutors allege the Mexican slope funneled $238,000 successful bribes disguised arsenic consulting fees to Cuellar, according to the newspaper. 

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Cuellar and his woman some pleaded not blameworthy successful national tribunal successful Houston connected Friday and were each released connected an unsecured $100,000 bond.

Aguilar connected Tuesday slammed the "silliness of George Santos" erstwhile further pressed by reporters astir the quality successful Democratic effect to Cuellar's indictment.  

The Democratic House Caucus seat said helium work the indictment against Cuellar and said the "incredibly superior allegations" are treated with the "utmost respect" by the Democratic caucus. 

Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., pictured here, defended Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, successful the aftermath of an indictment connected bribery charges unsealed successful national tribunal past week. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

"He's entitled to that presumption of innocence, arsenic immoderate American would. I person not talked with Representative Cuellar since the indictment came out," Aguilar said. "But that said, you know, I volition accidental that Representative Cuellar has been for decades, he's been a legislator. He's been a statewide officeholder successful Texas. He has heavy relationships with Republican colleagues and Democratic colleagues connected some sides of the aisle. We cognize that helium is simply a serious, you know, nationalist authoritative and nationalist servant. And I deliberation that's what sets this isolated from different issues and the silliness of George Santos that we had successful the past. And I deliberation that's wherefore galore of america are treating this a small different. The substance of the allegations is precise different, but the individuals are besides nighttime and day." 

When asked astir Menendez, Aguilar pointed to however the indictments against the longtime New Jersey legislator included photos supporting the DOJ's allegations that helium allegedly accepted bribes to payment the Egyptian government, including images depicting golden bars, a luxury conveyance and hundreds of thousands of dollars successful currency that prosecutors accidental was sewn into jackets oregon different recovered during an FBI hunt of Menendez's home. 

"The substance of these allegations is precise different," Aguilar said. "I made immoderate comments connected that indictment, and I clasp existent to those, I deliberation that these are precise different. There were some, you know, pictures and determination were immoderate things that were precise antithetic with respect to the allegations. So he's entitled to the presumption of innocence. And I would accidental that these allegations from each 3 individuals are precise different." 

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In a connection released past week, House Democratic Caucus Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., besides defended however Cuellar "has admirably devoted his vocation to nationalist service." 

"Like immoderate American, Congressman Cuellar is entitled to his time successful tribunal and the presumption of innocence passim the ineligible process. Pursuant to House Democratic Caucus Rule 24, Congressman Cuellar volition instrumentality permission arsenic Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee portion this substance is ongoing," Jeffries said.