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8h ago

After Trump Pardon, Cuellar Eyes Reelection and GOP Inquiry Into His Prosecutors

Following the pardon, Cuellar signals cooperation with GOP probes into his prosecutors.

U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales, left, and Henry Cuellar, right, participate in a discussion on taking politics out of problem solving during the Texas Tribune Festival in 2023. Cuellar, the controversial South Texas lawmaker, might not vote with the national party on every issue, but Democrats will need his help if they want to flip the U.S. House.
House Appropriations Committee member Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) questions Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 06, 2025 in Washington, D.C.; U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the 48th Kennedy Center Honors Medallion Reception at the U.S. Department of State on December 06, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Getty Images)
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Overview

  • President Donald Trump granted full pardons to Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, days after praising Cuellar’s border stances as the reason for his decision.
  • Cuellar said he did not seek clemency, credited his daughters with sending a pardon request letter, and thanked the president while maintaining he remains a conservative Democrat.
  • Cuellar has told reporters he believes the case was DOJ “weaponization” and is prepared to assist House Republicans, including Rep. Jim Jordan, in seeking records and investigating the prosecutors.
  • The pardon wipes away a 2024 federal indictment that alleged roughly $600,000 in bribes tied to a Mexico City bank and an Azerbaijan-linked energy firm; a judge had already dropped the foreign-agent counts in August after the trial was postponed to 2026.
  • Cuellar says he will run for a 12th term, as Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries publicly backed the pardon and a recent Supreme Court redistricting decision removed Bexar and Guadalupe counties from his district.