The House Committee on Ethics announced it will investigate Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar on bribery and foreign influence charges, nearly a month after the Justice Department indicted the longtime lawmaker.
Henry, 68, and Imelda Cuellar were indicted on May 3 on charges that they used a series of shell companies and fake invoices to hide about $600,000 in bribes for foreign companies — including an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank.
In exchange for the alleged bribes, Cuellar allegedly used his office to help advance the two companies’ interests in U.S. policy agendas.
Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., will lead the congressional investigation into the alleged misconduct.
Representative Henry Cuellar (right) and his wife Imelda Cuellar (left) were sued by the DOJ for $600,000 from foreign companies for alleged bribery, money laundering and bank fraud
The lawmakers hope to “determine whether Representative Cuellar solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities, or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violation of federal anti-money laundering laws; abused his official position for personal gain; and/or made false statements or omissions in public statements filed with the House of Representatives,” said a statement released by the committee on Wednesday.
The indictment alleged, among other things, that Ceullar agreed to influence legislation in favor of Azerbaijani interests and even agreed to deliver a pro-Azerbaijani speech in the House of Representatives.
But in a statement to Roll call Cuellar continued to deny the allegations against him.
“I respect the work of the House Ethics Committee,” he wrote in a statement Wednesday. “I am innocent of these charges, and everything I did in Congress was to serve the people of South Texas.”
The Democrat once held the role of co-chair of the Congressional Caucus in Azerbaijan.
Earlier this month, Cuellar’s chief of staff resigned after the Texas Democrat and his wife were charged with bribery and fraud by the Justice Department.
Jake Hochberg had been Cuellar’s top assistant since 2021, but left the office in early May, multiple people familiar with the situation confirmed to Punchbowl News.
The sources said other staffers are also considering leaving the embattled lawmaker’s office.
Jake Hochberg (pictured) resigned as chief of staff to Rep. Henry Cuellar after the congressman was accused of bribery and fraud
Rep. Cuellar resigned from his committee assignments and pleaded not guilty. He and his wife were each released on $100,000 bail
Hochberg previously did not respond to a request from DailyMail.com for comment on his departure from Cuellar’s office.
Moreover, Republicans are preparing to strike if Democrats do not punish Cuellar.
Last year, 105 Republican lawmakers joined Democrats to expel former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) before he was convicted of a crime but after a congressional investigation found misconduct.
Cuellar was one of 206 Democrats who voted to expel Santos in December, despite a federal investigation on his side.
The Laredo, Texas, couple pleaded not guilty and were released on $100,000 bail each.
Although the trial is set to begin this summer, it is likely that pre-trial legal disputes over the case will delay the start by months – and could even lead to dismissal.
The Azerbaijani energy company SOCAR is reportedly behind some payments to Cuellar
Cuellar, one of the remaining moderate Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, has already resigned from his position on the House Appropriations Committee amid active criminal cases.
The Justice Department’s indictment against the Democrat includes alleging that de Cuellar is guilty of bribery, money laundering and bank fraud.
Cuellar’s seat is seen as flippable in 2024 — and now Republicans see it as an even greater possibility after the indictment.