President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday (December 3) that he is granting a pardon to Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, following their indictment on bribery and other charges in 2024. In a social media post, President Trump claimed that the former Biden administration targeted Cuellar because of his opposition to open border policies.

Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, faced allegations of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank. The indictment accused him of influencing U.S. foreign policy to benefit these entities. Imelda Cuellar was alleged to have laundered the money through her companies. The couple was charged with conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and acting as agents for a foreign organization.

Cuellar has maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings. His trial was initially scheduled for September but was postponed to April. Despite the charges, Cuellar filed for reelection as a Democrat, dispelling rumors of a party switch.

President Trump, who has issued numerous pardons since returning to office, stated that Cuellar's pardon was due to the perceived weaponization of the Justice Department by the Biden administration. The pardon also applies to Imelda Cuellar, effectively ending their legal battle.

Cuellar expressed gratitude to President Trump, stating, "This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains." The pardon removes a significant hurdle for Cuellar as he prepares for a challenging reelection campaign against Republican Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina.

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