US Rep. Henry Cuellar wants corruption trial held in Laredo, not Houston

Henry Cuellar

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife Imelda Cuellar on Wednesday filed a motion asking a federal judge in Houston to allow his corruption trial to be held in Laredo.

Cuellar, who represents District 28, which covers Laredo and Starr County, said in an affidavit filed along with the motion for a venue change that the travel to Houston for the trial would be “a great financial burden” and that a trial in Laredo would better help him fulfill his duties as an elected representative.

“It would be a great financial burden to relocate to Houston for the duration of my trial. Holding the trial in Houston will also make it very difficult to fulfill my duties to my constituents in Laredo while I am away,” he said in the affidavit.

The motion for a change of venue also said that holding the trial in Houston would be unfair.

“Forcing a congressman out of his district to hold a trial against him 314 miles away from his home and constituents can lead to the conclusion that what is happening is the type of unfair venue shopping that concerned our lawmakers before our nation’s founding,” the motion states.

The Cuellars are accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from 2014 to 2016 from an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank headquartered in Mexico. In exchange, Cuellar would allegedly advance the country’s interests.

“The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little to no legitimate work under the contracts,” a prior news release stated.

Cuellar agreed to deliver a favorable Azerbaijan speech and to influence legislation that would be beneficial to the country, according to the release.

“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 U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank,” the release stated.

The Cuellars are each charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official; two counts of bribery of a federal official; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal; one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering; and five counts of money laundering.

The Monitor first reported in January 2022 that law enforcement was conducting “court-authorized” activity at his Laredo home and at his downtown campaign office.

The Cuellars have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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