Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife were indicted Friday on charges of conspiracy and accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities, the Justice Department announced. Cuellar once served as a co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, and repeatedly met with Azerbaijan officials, including the ambassador of Azerbaijan, Elin Suleymanov in that role. Rep. Cuellar will take a leave as ranking member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee while "this matter is ongoing," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' spokesperson Christie Stephenson. Rep. Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and "the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process," Stephenson added. Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, wife indicted on charges of bribes tied to Azerbaijan originally appeared on abcnews.go.com

Source: ABC News May 03, 2024 16:51 UTC