WASHINGTON 鈥� President Donald Trump announced he will pardon U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, and his wife, ending the congressman鈥檚 multi-year federal legal battle. Cuellar had faced a dozen charges of bribery, money laundering and conspiracy.
In Trump鈥檚 pardon, shared Wednesday morning via Truth Social, the president said that the Democratic congressman had been punished by a weaponized Department of Justice under former president Joe Biden for speaking out against the administration鈥檚 border policy.
鈥淪leepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman鈥檚 wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH,鈥� Trump wrote.
Cuellar鈥檚 legal controversy began in 2022, during the Biden administration, when the FBI his home and office as part of a federal probe investigating the diplomatic practices of Azerbaijan. Cuellar and his wife were indicted by the Department of Justice in 2024 on 12 counts of bribery, conspiracy and money laundering centering the congressman鈥檚 alleged acceptance of nearly $600,000 in bribes from the Central Asian county and a Mexican commercial bank. The indictment alleged that the money was laundered through shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, and that the congressman subsequently pushed policy benefitting Azerbaijani interests.
Cuellar鈥檚 trial was set to begin in September, but a federal judge had moved the date to April 鈥� after the March primary but before what is set to be a competitive general election. Throughout his legal ordeal, he has maintained that he is innocent.
The case had already ensnared two of Cuellar鈥檚 political advisers, who to conspiring with Cuellar to launder over $200,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank.
With Trump鈥檚 pardon, Cuellar will no longer face any legal ramifications related to the bribery case.
Cuellar did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The president, who himself faced numerous indictments after his first term, has pursued a spree of pardons and commutations since taking office again in January. He has issued over 1,500 pardons to Jan. 6 defendants, white collar criminals, associates and now, a sitting Democratic congressman. In October, he commuted GOP Rep. George Santos鈥檚 prison sentence for wire fraud and identity theft.
Trump said the pardon would also apply to Imelda Cuellar. In his post, Trump attached a Nov. 12 to him from Cuellar鈥檚 daughters requesting clemency for their parents and suggesting that their dad鈥檚 鈥渋ndependence and honesty鈥� on border policy 鈥渕ay have contributed to how this case began.鈥�
鈥淧resident Trump, you once publicly said that you believed the indictment was wrong 鈥� and later, at a White House picnic, you told me personally, as you pointed to my father, that he was a 鈥榞ood man鈥�,鈥� Catherine and Christina Cuellar wrote in their letter. 鈥淭hose words meant more than you could ever know.鈥�
Trump echoed the Cuellar daughters鈥� belief about Cuellar鈥檚 border stance in his post.
鈥淔or years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them,鈥� Trump wrote. 鈥淥ne of the clearest examples of this was when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to 鈥渢ake out鈥� a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border 鈥淐atastrophe.鈥�
The longtime Laredo congressman, an institution in South Texas who has survived significant electoral challenges in both primaries and general elections, is one of Republicans鈥� top targets in 2026. Cuellar was already representing a seat that Trump had won by 7 percentage points; Texas Republicans aimed to make his re-election more difficult by redrawing his district to have favored Trump by 10 percent. The most moderate Democrat in the House and the only federally elected anti-abortion Democrat left in the party, Cuellar had survived every electoral challenge he had faced, including last cycle, as South Texas voters shifted right and his indictment was made public.
This cycle, he is facing a serious Republican opponent 鈥� Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a former Democrat, who announced his candidacy Tuesday and noted that Cuellar was facing 鈥渟erious federal corruption accusations that have shaken the trust of the people he is supposed to serve,鈥� in a statement announcing his candidacy.
Republicans in Texas and in Washington have routinely brought up Cuellar鈥檚 legal woes in their campaign against him. But in pardoning Cuellar, Trump has neutered one of Republicans鈥� best arguments.
鈥淗enry, I don鈥檛 know you, but you can sleep well tonight 鈥� your nightmare is finally over!鈥� Trump wrote.
Cuellar has yet to officially file for reelection to his seat in Texas鈥� 28th Congressional District. The filing deadline is Dec. 8.