https://cw39.com/politics/henry-cuellar-accused-of-accepting-600k-in-bribes-according-to-indictment/amp/

FILE - U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, talks to a member of the media during a campaign event in San Antonio, May 4, 2022. Cuellar was carjacked late Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, in Washington's Navy Yard area, about a mile from the U.S. Capitol, multiple media sources reported. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An indictment charging Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, with accepting bribes from foreign entities was unsealed Friday.

The indictment accuses 68-year-old U.S. Congressman Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar and his wife, 67-year-old Imelda Cuellar, of participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence and money laundering, the Department of Justice announced.

The husband and wife made their initial appearance in court Friday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston.

Court documents accuse the two of accepting $600,000 in bribes from two foreign companies; an oil and gas company controlled by the Government of Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico City. The alleged scheme began in December 2014 and continued through at least November 2021, authorities said.

“The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts,” the Department of Justice stated.

In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijan company, Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence foreign policy in favor of the country.

In exchange for the bribes from the Mexican bank, the DOJ states that Cuellar “agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank.”

The two each face the following charges:

Two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal

Two counts of bribery of a federal official

Two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud

Two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal

One count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering

Five counts of money laundering

Each of the money laundering counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

The case was investigated by the FBI and DOS-OIG.