Federal prosecutors indicted a US congressman Friday on bribery and money laundering charges connected to a bank in Mexico and an energy company owned by Azerbaijan.
Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, accepted around $600,000 in exchange for advancing the interests of the bank and the former Soviet Republic over seven years through at least November 2021, according to the indictment.
“In exchange for the bribes paid by the Azerbaijani oil and gas company, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his office to influence US foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan” the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement.
“In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking US executive branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank.”
The DOJ alleges that the bribes were laundered into shell companies owned by the 68-year-old congressman’s wife Imelda Cuellar, who was indicted alongside him.
The couple surrendered to the authorities on Friday and were released on bail.
They are facing more than a dozen counts each — ranging from…