Trump says he is pardoning Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who was indicted on bribery charges

By Megan Lebowitz

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he would pardon Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who was indicted last year on bribery and money laundering charges.

In his Truth Social post, Trump accused Democrats of working to "attack, rob, lie, cheat, destroy, and decimate anyone who dares to oppose their Far Left Agenda, an Agenda that, if left unchecked, will obliterate our magnificent Country."

"Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda," Trump said in the post, referring to Cuellar's wife, who also faces charges.

"Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!" the president continued.

In a post to X, the congressman thanked Trump "for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts."

"This pardon gives us a clean slate," Cuellar said in his post. "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."

Cuellars' daughters, Christina and Catherine, wrote a letter urging Trump to pardon their father, arguing that they "believe that our father's independence and honesty may have contributed to how this case began."

"When you and your family faced your own challenges, we understood that pain in a very human way," they added in the letter, which Trump posted the letter to Truth Social. "We prayed for you and your family — for your strength, your peace, and your faith to stay strong — because we know that behind the headlines, there are real people who hurt, who love, and who still hope for better days."

Seth DuCharme, one of the congressman's lawyers, declined to comment. A Justice Department spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a CNN interview Wednesday that the indictment against Cuellar was “very thin to begin with.”

“I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome,” he said, responding to a question about whether he agreed with the president’s pardon.

The Justice Department indicted Cuellar and his wife in May 2024 on 14 counts, including bribery, wire fraud and money laundering. In August, a U.S. district court dismissed two of the counts, which were related to alleged violations of the Foreign Agent Registration Act.

The indictment accused the couple of accepting "at least $598,000 in bribes from two foreign entities" in exchange for the congressman agreeing "to perform official acts in his capacity as a Member of Congress."

"The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by IMELDA CUELLAR," the initial indictment said, alleging that she "performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts."

The indictment accused the congressman of promising "to use the power and prestige of his office to advance" the interests of Azerbaijan and an unnamed foreign bank.

Both Cuellars pleaded not guilty.

Months before Donald Trump said he would pardon the Cuellars, a federal judge denied a motion to dismiss the indictment based on the Constitution’s protections for the speech and debate of members of Congress. Senior United States District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ruled in September that the congressman was not immune from prosecution.

Two political operatives with ties to the congressman took plea deals in March of last year ahead of the indictment's release. They agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with the Justice Department's case, according to court documents released in May 2024. Mina Colin Strother, the congressman's former campaign manager and chief of staff, and businessman and associate Florencio “Lencho” Rendon had been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Cuellar filed for re-election in his district ahead of the Monday deadline, according to the Texas Democratic Party’s unofficial list of candidates who have filled out paperwork to run. Texas Republicans targeted his seat with their 2025 redistricting plans, making it several points more GOP-leaning.

Cuellar is latest in a series of high-profile pardons and other acts of clemency by the president, including to several people convicted of charges related to bribery or money laundering.

In February, Trump pardoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted on corruption charges related to bribery (Trump commuted Blagojevich's prison sentence in 2020.) In May, the president pardoned Scott Jenkins, a former Virginia sherriff who had been convicted on federal bribery charges. Also in May, he also pardoned Jeremy Young Hutchinson, a Republican former Arkansas state senator who was accused of conspiracy to commit bribery, among other charges.