Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife have been formally accused of receiving $600,000 in bribes. The US Department of Justice reported the accusations of the legislator, which clarified that the congressman was charged under the article on foreign influence and foreign agents.
It is alleged that the couple illegally received money from the Azerbaijani state oil company and a Mexican bank. However, the Texas Democrat denies all accusations.
The couple were arrested and released on bail (which turned out to be six times less than the total amount of bribes) after the first interrogation by a court in Houston. If found guilty, they face a decade in prison.
The man and his woman are charged separately with conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and violating a prohibition against acting as an agent of a foreign entity. The last prohibition applies only to Mr. Cuellar, since he is a legislator.
According to the indictment, Cuellar agreed to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan and take measures that benefited the Mexico City-headquartered bank, including changes to money laundering laws. The bribes were laundered from 2014 to 2021 through a series of fictitious consulting contracts, middlemen and shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, a 67-year-old congresswoman.
The Cuellars have already spent the laundered money “on paying off a number of debts and on purchases for the family.”
The House Democratic leader said Mr. Cuellar would take leave from his position on the Homeland Security Committee while the trial proceeds. In turn, the accused congressman promised to continue his own campaign for re-election in November.
The US Foreign Agents and Foreign Influence Act is considered the most stringent of similar laws in other countries.
As OBOZ.UA reportedProtests against the law on foreign agents continue in Georgia.
Meanwhile, the former Georgian Minister for European Integration Alexi Petriashvili has already been detained at these protests. He is accused of petty hooliganism and disobeying the police.
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Source: Obozrevatel