EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said he and his wife are innocent following reports that the Justice Department planned to announce his indictment.
In a statement to Border Report, Cuellar, said, “I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas.”
On Friday morning, NBC News reported that the Department of Justice was expected to announce the indictment of the longtime congressman from Laredo, though it was unclear if it was related to the 2022 FBI raid at his home.
FBI agents descended on and searched Cuellar’s home in January 2022 as part of an investigation related to the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan.
Days after, Cuellar issued a one-and-a-half-minute video statement on Twitter.
“I appreciate the many calls, texts, tweets and messages of support. The outpouring of support from so many in our community is humbling and I’d like to personally thank you for having my back.
“As I said last week, I’m fully cooperating with law enforcement and committed to ensuring that justice and the law is upheld. There is an ongoing investigation that will show that there was no wrongdoing on my part,” he said.
Cuellar had not been charged with a crime and the FBI hadn’t said anything about the scope of its investigation into the congressman.
That April, his lawyer said Cuellar was not the target of the investigation.
In his statement on Friday, Cuellar did not specify what he and his wife were accused of but denied any wrongdoing.
“Before I took any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm. The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people,” he said. “Furthermore, we requested a meeting with the Washington DC prosecutors to explain the facts and they refused to discuss the case with us or to hear our side.”
Cuellar touted his wife’s accomplishments as a businesswoman, adding that she spent her career working with banking, tax, and consulting.
“The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive,” he said.
Cuellar said he’s still running for re-election and “will win this November.”
Cuellar ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for Texas’ 28th Congressional District. Lazaro Garza Jr. and Jay Furman are headed to a runoff for the Republican nomination and to face Cuellar in November.
Cuellar said the allegations have been difficult on his family.
“But, with your prayers, we will overcome,” he said. “As the son of migrant workers, I was taught to wake up early and work hard. That’s exactly what I’ve always done for the people of South Texas. I’ve devoted my life’s work to creating jobs here, improving education, and securing our border.”
