By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar said on Friday that he and his wife Imelda were innocent of allegations against them as U.S. media reported a pending indictment.
“I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations,” Cuellar, a Texas Democrat, said in a statement.
Cuellar did not address whether an indictment against him could be imminent, or address specific allegations. Justice Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
U.S. media have previously reported that Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were searched by federal law enforcement in January 2022 as part of a probe connected to Azerbaijan and a group of U.S. businessmen.
“Before I took any action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm,” Cuellar said in a statement.
He added that he had requested a meeting with federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C. to discuss the investigation, but “they refused to discuss the case with us or to hear our side.”
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Sarah N. Lynch; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Scott Malone)
Comments