Last week, the court announced that the corruption trial of U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar has been postponed until after the November 2024 election, drawing criticism about the timing of the trial.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) criticized the decision on social media, stating, “Justice delayed is democracy denied.”
Congressman Cuellar, along with his wife Imelda, faces charges involving bribery, money laundering, and illegal foreign influence, according to an indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Texas. It is alleged that from December 2014 through November 2021, the Cuellars accepted around $600,000 from a state-owned oil company in Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico City. These funds were purportedly received through sham consulting contracts and laundered through various front companies into shell companies controlled by Imelda Cuellar.
The indictment details that the bribes were intended to influence Congressman Cuellar’s actions in Congress to benefit the Azerbaijani oil and gas sector and to sway U.S. policy to favor the Mexican bank. The Cuellars are facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, acting as agents of a foreign principal without proper registration, and several counts of money laundering. Each charge carries severe penalties, with some allowing for up to 20 years of imprisonment.
