Henry Cuellar's Corruption Trial Delayed Until After Election

Henry Cuellar’s Corruption Trial Delayed Until After Election

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s corruption trial has been postponed until after Election Day, as per a court order issued on Friday.

The Laredo Democrat, who was indicted last month on charges of bribery, money laundering, and illegally working for the Azerbaijani government, was initially set to go to trial in July.

The trial is now scheduled to begin in spring 2025, with an interim pretrial conference in December and jury selection starting on March 31, 2025.

Both federal prosecutors and Cuellar’s defense team requested the delay, which was granted by Judge Lee Rosenthal, a seasoned judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush.

The trial will take place in federal court in Houston. Prosecutors allege that Cuellar laundered bribes from the Azerbaijani government and a Mexican bank in exchange for promoting legislation favored by these entities, including issues related to Azerbaijan’s territorial dispute with Armenia.

Cuellar denies the charges, asserting that his actions were in line with those of other members of Congress. He also confirmed his intention to continue running for re-election this year.

Cuellar represents Texas’ 28th Congressional District, a competitive battleground where Republicans invested heavily last cycle to unseat him.

He successfully defended his seat against a progressive challenger, immigration attorney Jessica Cisneros, and Republican Cassy Garcia in 2022, winning by over 13 points.

This year, national Republicans initially did not focus on his race, directing their efforts toward more competitive South Texas races.

However, after Cuellar’s indictment, election analysts have deemed the race more competitive.

The National Republican Congressional Committee has added Cuellar to its list of targets following the Republican primary runoff in May, which resulted in former Navy commander Jay Furman becoming their candidate.