House Ethics Committee launches investigation into Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas after he was indicted in federal court

WASHINGTON, DC — The House Ethics Committee is launching an investigation into Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar after he was indicted this month on charges of bribery, money laundering and working for a foreign government.

The committee said Wednesday it voted unanimously to take the rare step of investigating Cuellar, 68, while the Justice Department continues to investigate him and his wife over the couple’s ties to the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.

“The committee recognizes the risks associated with duplicative investigations and is in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks while meeting its obligations to protect the integrity of the House of Representatives,” said Chairman Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and Ranking Member Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) in a statement.

Cuellar’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

House and committee rules require that within 30 days after a member is impeached or formally accused, the committee must either establish an investigative subcommittee to examine the allegations or publicly announce why it is not doing so.

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Guest and Rep. Glenn Ivy, Democrat of Maryland, will lead the investigation into Cuellar. The committee noted in its statement that opening an investigation does not mean the lawmaker violated House rules.

Culler is the third congressman to be charged in federal court since the current session of Congress began in January. He has stated that he and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, “are innocent of these charges.”

“Everything I have done in Congress has served the people of South Texas,” Cuellar said in a statement in early May. “Before taking any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, which provided me with more than a written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm.”

The indictment against the couple says they accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani energy company and a bank in Mexico between 2014 and 2021. In return, Cuellar agreed to promote the country’s and the bank’s interests in the United States.

Among other things, Cuellar agreed to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and to give a pro-Azerbaijani speech in the plenary session of the House of Representatives, the indictment states.

In addition to bribery and conspiracy, Cuellar and his wife are also accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, acting as agents for foreign clients, and money laundering. If convicted, they face up to decades in prison and the forfeiture of all property associated with the proceeds of the alleged plot.