• President grants full pardon to Texas Democratic congressman and wife Imelda on Wednesday
• Couple faced 14 federal counts including bribery and money laundering charges
• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries backed the pardon, calling indictment “very thin”

WASHINGTON, D.C. (TDR) — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he is granting a full and unconditional pardon to Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) and his wife, Imelda, effectively ending the federal bribery case that had threatened the longtime congressman’s political career. The surprise decision when Trump pardons Henry Cuellar marks an extraordinary moment in Washington politics.

Trump Pardons Henry Cuellar Despite Never Meeting Him

The president announced the clemency on Truth Social, claiming the prosecution resulted from a weaponized Department of Justice under former President Joe Biden. Trump wrote that Cuellar “bravely spoke out against Open Borders and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe'” and accused the previous administration of targeting the congressman simply for speaking the truth about immigration policy failures at the southern border.

“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!” Trump declared in his social media announcement.

Federal Charges and Allegations

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Cuellar and his wife were indicted in May 2024 on 14 federal counts, including bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy. Federal prosecutors alleged the couple accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a Mexican bank between late 2014 and November 2021.

The indictment accused the congressman of using his position on a House Appropriations subcommittee to advance foreign interests in exchange for payments allegedly laundered through shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. Two of Cuellar’s political advisers pleaded guilty to conspiring with the congressman to launder over $200,000 in bribes from the Mexican bank.

Democratic Leadership Supports Decision

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) surprisingly backed the president’s decision, calling the original indictment against Cuellar “very thin to begin with.” Jeffries suggested the charges would eventually be dismissed regardless of presidential intervention.

“I don’t know why the president decided to do this. I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome,” Jeffries told CNN.

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The Democratic leader’s remarks stand in stark contrast to his criticisms of other Trump pardons, which he has characterized as affronts to the nation’s criminal justice system.

Cuellar Responds to Presidential Clemency

The Texas congressman expressed gratitude following the announcement, stating he would thank Trump personally at a White House Christmas party next week. Cuellar denied making any deal with the administration to secure the pardon.

“This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on,” Cuellar wrote on X. The congressman confirmed he has no plans to switch parties and vowed to win reelection in his competitive South Texas district.

Political Implications Moving Forward

The pardon may complicate Republican efforts to flip Cuellar’s seat in the 2026 midterm elections. The National Republican Congressional Committee had targeted his district as a potential pickup, and Texas Republicans recently redrew district boundaries to make the seat more competitive. Cuellar still faces an ongoing House Ethics Committee investigation that began shortly after his indictment.

Will this unprecedented pardon reshape the political landscape in South Texas heading into the next election cycle?

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