BREAKING: Trump issues full pardon for Texas Dem Henry Cuellar in Biden DOJ bribery case
“Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH.”
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President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has granted a “full and unconditional pardon” to Texas Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, wiping away federal bribery charges filed against the couple last year. The announcement landed suddenly, with Trump framing the move as a response to what he called partisan targeting by the Biden administration.
Trump posted the news on Truth Social, accusing Biden of using federal agencies to punish political critics. “Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH,” Trump wrote. He said Cuellar had been targeted because he criticized the administration’s handling of the border.
Cuellar, a border-area Democrat who often broke with his party on immigration, publicly warned in early 2024 that border security would be a major electoral issue. “The American public doesn’t like what’s happening,” he told Fox News at the time, saying that his district is heavily Hispanic and largely Democratic.
The Justice Department, under Biden, indicted Cuellar and his wife in May 2024.
rosecutors alleged the couple received roughly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-owned energy company and a Mexican bank. According to the DOJ, the money was routed through shell companies tied to Imelda Cuellar. Prosecutors claimed the congressman used his office to influence U.S. policy in exchange for the payments. Cuellar had denied wrongdoing.
After the pardon, Cuellar released a statement thanking Trump, saying the decision “clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.” He added that he was grateful to God and said the pardon “gives us a clean slate.”
Trump also shared a letter he said came from the Cuellars’ daughters, who asked him to intervene. The letter described their parents as “good, decent people” and appealed for mercy so the family could “heal” and see their parents’ names restored.
Trump concluded his post by saying: “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over.”
This is a breaking news story. Refresh for updates.
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