Henry Cuellar says Biden's DOJ indicted him because of his opposition to 'open border' policies

WASHINGTON, DC: Days after President Donald Trump pardoned Democratic Rep Henry Cuellar, the congressman said the Joe Biden administration’s Department of Justice indicted him for political reasons, not just legal ones.

In May 2024, the DOJ under Biden charged Cuellar with bribery and acting as a foreign agent, claiming he accepted $600,000 from the Azerbaijan government in exchange for his assistance in Washington. Cuellar’s wife, Imelda, also faced charges in connection with the investigation.

Henry Cuellar claims Biden’s DOJ targeted him over 'open border' criticism

During an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on 'Sunday Morning Futures,' Cuellar said he believed the Biden administration indicted him because of his criticisms of the former president’s “open border” policies.

The host asked, "Do you believe that you were indicted for your criticism of Biden's open border?"

"Absolutely," he said. "The president was right. And I now, looking at all of the evidence and looking at everything, I definitely feel that I was weaponized."

Cuellar argued that the DOJ targeted not only him but also his family. "I'll tell you something… if they want to come after me, because I was a critic about open borders, that's one thing. But you don't bring the family in. You just don't do that. You don't, as a prosecutor, you just don't do that type of situation," he said.

When Bartiromo asked about his dealings with the Azerbaijani government, Cuellar insisted, "Look, let me say this. You know, first of all, we're innocent. And we have looked at all the evidence that got provided through discovery. We were even allowed to see the grand jury testimony." 

Henry Cuellar claims Biden admin attempted entrapment

Henry Cuellar also revealed that prosecutors tried to coerce him into accepting bribes through a sting operation, but he refused. “That doesn't happen very frequently. And we saw that. And not a single person that testified, and I'll emphasize this, there's not a single person [who] said there was a quid pro quo,” he said.

He shared, "What they did there was wrong… So again, no quid pro quo from any of the evidence, from any of the individuals. And, therefore, they even did attempt a sting operation where they were trying to entrap me. And that failed."

Cuellar accused the Biden administration and the DOJ of attempting to bribe and entrap him.

“So they, the Biden administration, they tried to entrap me and tried to bribe me, and that failed. And this is very significant because one more thing, everything came in from the DOJ in DC,” he alleged.

He also told Bartiromo that he had spoken with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and requested a meeting to discuss a potential investigation into the prosecutors who indicted him and his wife.

Henry Cuellar responds to Trump’s regret, rejects calls to switch parties

Henry Cuellar’s appearance on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures' came just hours after President Trump publicly expressed regret over pardoning him. Trump criticized Cuellar for a lack of loyalty after the congressman filed for reelection as a Democrat following the acceptance of the presidential pardon.

During his Fox News appearance, Cuellar pushed back against Trump’s criticism, saying, "I was at church this morning with my wife. I prayed for the president, I prayed for his family, and I prayed for the presidency, because if the president succeeds, the country succeeds."

Cuellar also declared that he has no intention of switching parties, describing himself as a "conservative" member of the Democratic caucus.

He added, "I follow the words of president [Lyndon B Johnson], who said many years ago, ‘I’m an American, I’m a Texan, and I’m a Democrat, in that order. And I think anybody that puts party before their country is doing a disservice to their country.'"