WASHINGTON ( AP ) — The House Ethics Committee is opening an investigation into Rep. Henry Cuellar, D- Texas, after his , accusation earlier this month , on allegations of corruption, money laundering and working on behalf of a foreign government.
The commission announced on Wednesday that it had voted unanimously to pursue an investigation into Cuellar, 68, while the Department of Justice is still looking into his and his wife’s ties to the former Soviet nation of Azerbaijan.
” The Committee is aware of the risks associated with two investigations and is in contact with the Department of Justice to lessen the potential risks while also meeting the Committee’s obligations to protect the integrity of the House”, said the chair, Rep. Michael Guest, R- Miss., and ranking member, Rep. Susan Wild, D- Pa., said in a statement.
Cuellar, in a speech to The Associated Press, said he respects the agency’s work. He claimed that he is innocent of the complaints and that his main concern was the welfare of South Texas’s citizens.
Within 30 days of a part being indicted or fully charged, the council must sometimes identify an exploratory committee to investigate the allegations or publish its justifications.
Guest and Rep. Glenn Ivy, D- Md., did lead the review of Cuellar. In its statement, the committee reaffirmed that the committee’s caution against a senator breaking House laws by opening an inspection.
Culler is the next senator to be charged with a federal prosecution since the start of the current congressional session in January. He has said that he and his family, Imelda Cuellar, 67, “are innocent of these claims”.
Before taking action, Cuellar stated in a statement from the beginning of May that,” I actively sought legal guidance from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written mind, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm.”
According to the indictment against the couple, they accepted nearly$ 600,000 in bribes from a bank in Mexico and an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company from 2014 to 2021, and Cuellar agreed to help advance the country’s and the bank’s interests in the United States.
According to the indictment, Cuellar agreed to veto legislation that would benefit Azerbaijan and make a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the House.
In addition to bribery and conspiracy, Cuellar and his wife face charges including wire fraud conspiracy, acting as agents of foreign principals and money laundering. They face forfeiture of any property resembling the proceeds of the alleged scheme and up to decades in prison if found guilty.
