President Donald Trump granted pardons to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife from federal corruption charges, a gesture for a Texas Democrat often at odds with his own party on key issues.
In a social media post announcing the move, Trump drew parallels between the case against Cuellar and his own legal troubles, which he denounced as a partisan crusade by former President Joe Biden. Trump accused his predecessor of targeting Cuellar “simply for speaking the TRUTH” after he “boldly spoke out against Open Borders.”
“Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!” Trump posted on Wednesday.
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Federal prosecutors accused Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, of accepting about $600,000 in bribes in exchange for influencing policy to benefit an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank.
Earlier this year, a judge dismissed some of the charges against the Cuellars and postponed the trial until 2026. The two deny any wrongdoing.
The veteran member of the House is one of the most conservative in his group, defending pro-gun positions and against the right to abortion. He also represents a district on the U.S.-Mexico border and has praised some of Trump’s efforts to strengthen border security.
“I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts,” Cuellar posted on X. “This decision clarifies the situation and allows us to move forward for South Texas.”
Cuellar is seeking re-election next year.
Trump has repeatedly claimed, without providing evidence, that Biden “weaponized” the Justice Department against him and his allies, even as he calls for the indictment of his own political adversaries.
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In his second term, Trump granted clemency to several people convicted of white-collar crimes, including prominent business figures. He has also used his powers to defend allies, such as former Republican Rep. George Santos of New York, whose sentence for stealing campaign funds Trump commuted in October.
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