(Washington) Federal prosecutors charged a U.S. congressman Friday with bribery and money laundering in connection with a Mexican bank and a state-owned Azerbaijan oil company, U.S. authorities said.
Elected Democrat from Texas to the House of Representatives, Henry Cuellar, accepted approximately $ 600,000 to represent the interests of the bank and the company in question over a period of seven years, until at least November 2021, according to the indictment.
“In exchange for bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Representative Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his position to influence United States foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan,” said the Ministry of Justice in a press release.
As for the Mexican bank, Henry Cuellar “would have agreed to influence legislative activity, to advise and to put pressure on senior officials of the American executive” to obtain “favorable measures” for this bank.
According to the ministry, the sums paid were laundered via shell companies belonging to the elected official’s wife, Imelda Cuellar, who was also charged.
The couple appeared before judicial authorities on Friday before being released on bail. In total, they each face more than a dozen charges.
In a statement, Henry Cuellar denied having committed any crime with his wife, saying he had always acted “in the interest of the American people”.
He affirmed that this affair would not prevent him from running again in the legislative elections, which will be held at the same time as the presidential election on November 5. The latter must pit Democrat Joe Biden against Republican Donald Trump.
The FBI, the United States federal police, searched Henry Cuellar’s home and campaign office in 2022 as part of an investigation into links between Azerbaijan and American businessmen.
At the head of the Democratic minority in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries recalled the right to “the presumption of innocence” while removing Henry Cuellar from an important position within a parliamentary committee.