Former Democrat Henry Cuellar staffer turned GOP opponent in Texas race seeks to clear attack record
- Jose Sanz, Cuellar’s former staffer who is now running against him, was arrested for assault in which he was accused of throwing a chair at his 21-year-old sister
- The now 30-year-old was arrested and charged with assault on a family member before being released on $1,000 bail
- A hearing will be held Friday to determine whether the incident will be expunged from his record
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The Republican who wants to oust pro-life Democrat Henry Cuellar is trying to wipe away a record of his violent past.
Jose Sanz, Cuellar’s former staffer who now runs into him in the South Texas District, was arrested on April 12, 2021, for assault in an incident in which he was accused of throwing a chair at his 21-year-old sister. According to data from DailyMail.com, his mother was also involved in the incident.
The now 30-year-old was arrested and charged with assault on a family member before being released on $1,000 bail. On April 14, a protective order was issued banning Sanz from coming within 200 feet of the home.
On April 19, the sister filed an affidavit not to prosecute Sanz, claiming that the chair he threw at her did not hit her, but went over her head. She also said she “didn’t want or need a protective order.”
Jose Sanz, Cuellar’s former staffer who now runs into him in the South Texas District, was arrested on April 12, 2021, for assault in an incident in which he was accused of throwing a chair at his 21-year-old sister. His mugshot can be seen above
The sister claimed the chair did not hit her and went over her head, and said there had been a miscommunication with police at the time of the arrest.
‘After talking to my mother and sister I realized that basically the chair never hit me, things moved so quickly with all the excitement. Maybe the police officer didn’t understand what I said because of all the excitement.’
In December 2021, the case was dismissed after Sanz completed 36 batterer intervention classes and 12 hours of community service.
A hearing is now scheduled for Friday to discuss whether the incident should be wiped out of Sanz, according to Harris County District Court records. Sanz filed for deportation on August 15, exactly a month before he announced his candidacy.
Sanz started working for Cuellar in August 2021, months after the incident. He served as press secretary and district director for the Laredo Democrat.
“The experience was second to none,” Sanz said of his work at Cuellar when he announced he would try to fire his former boss.
“However, over time it became clear that my values and beliefs were not in line with those of the office. “I needed to make a change so I could fight for what matters most to me… my conservative ideals and ability to represent the family values of the people of District 28 in Washington, DC.”
The 30-year-old was arrested and charged with assault on a family member before being released on $1,000 bail
Before getting involved in politics, Sanz was a sports analyst for ESPN-Mexico. He was born in Mexico before immigrating to the US and raised in the suburbs of Houston.
Sanz and Cuellar will face off in a closely fought race in 2024. Republicans aggressively targeted Cuellar in the 2022 cycle, but he retained his seat in the purple district.
In 2020 and 2022, he faced a competitive primary challenge from a former intern, progressive Democrat Jessica Cisneros.
Cuellar is one of the last pro-life Democrats in Congress and has been critical of President Biden’s border policies.
In January 2022, ahead of his final primary, the FBI raided Cuellar’s Laredo home and office, taking out a computer and bags full of other personal items. No charges or arrests have been made in the case.