US Rep. Cuellar says he is innocent following indictment reports

U.S. media have previously reported that Cuellar's home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were searched by federal law enforcement in January 2022 as part of a probe connected to Azerbaijan and a group of U.S. businessmen. "Before I took any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm," Cuellar said in a statement.

U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said on Friday that he and his wife Imelda were innocent of allegations against them as U.S. media reported a pending indictment. "I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations," Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, said in a statement.

Cuellar did not address whether an indictment against him could be imminent, or address specific allegations. Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. media have previously reported that Cuellar's home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were searched by federal law enforcement in January 2022 as part of a probe connected to Azerbaijan and a group of U.S. businessmen.

"Before I took any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm," Cuellar said in a statement. He added that he had requested a meeting with federal prosecutors in Washington to discuss the investigation, but "they refused to discuss the case with us or to hear our side."

During the time that the FBI searched his home and campaign office in 2022, Cuellar served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus. In that capacity, he and several other members of Congress signed a letter urging Congress to provide "humanitarian" support in its fiscal 2022 spending bill to assist people displaced following the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

"The Russian presence is among the gravest challenges. We therefore ask that any funding be routed through either the Government of Azerbaijan or the United Nations, so that U.S. taxpayer resources do not come under Russian control," they wrote. The letter was disclosed to the Justice Department's National Security Division in April 2021 by a lobbying firm that represents Azerbaijan's interests and was seeking additional signatures from other lawmakers on the letter.

Cuellar, considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives, is seeking an 11th two-year term. He represents a district that borders Mexico and includes Laredo and parts of San Antonio.