President Trump pardons Democratic Texas congressman Cuellar
President Trump said he would grant a “full and unconditional pardon” to Democratic Texas congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, who were indicted on bribery charges.
Days after President Donald Trump granted a preemptive pardon to embattled Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, the Texas congressman announced he will run for re-election. The president is not happy about it.
Cuellar is considered one of the most conservative Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, but he has no plans to change parties in 2026. In a Dec. 7 social media post, President Trump accused the congressman of “continuing to work with the same radical leftist scum.”
“Texas voters and Henry’s daughters will not like this lack of loyalty,” Trump said in the post. He said he had received a letter from the lawmaker’s children asking for a pardon.
Cuéllar and his wife, Imelda, were indicted last year on charges of bribery, conspiracy and money laundering. They are accused of taking nearly $600,000 in bribes from companies linked to the Azerbaijani government and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. Mr. Cuellar maintains his innocence.
President Trump has claimed without evidence that the charges are politically motivated because Democrats opposed his party’s immigration and southern border policies.
President Trump said in the post that he did not speak with the Cuellar family before granting the pardon, but suggested in the post that he expected Democratic lawmakers to no longer align with the party. Mr. Cuellar has not indicated that he is considering switching to the Republican Party.
In an interview with Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Cuellar described himself as a “conservative Democrat.”
“I’m following the words of President LBJ (Lyndon B. Johnson), who said years ago, ‘I’m an American, a Texan, a Democrat, in that order,'” Cuellar said in a Dec. 7 interview. “And I think anyone who puts party above country is doing a disservice to the country.”
Although he remains a Democrat, Cuellar reiterated that he is in contact with the Trump administration and wants to find common ground with Republicans.
Mr. Cuéllar, 70, has been elected to the Texas House of Representatives eight times and was first elected to Congress in 2004. The longtime congressman’s 11th term was in jeopardy after the federal government indicted him and his wife on bribery and money laundering charges in May 2024.
Contributor: Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
