The House Ethics Committee voted to open an investigation into Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) to determine if he accepted bribes or acted as a foreign agent in the wake of the charges the Justice Department brought against him.
On Wednesday, Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) and ranking member Glenn Ivey (D-MD) released a statement saying they will preside over an investigative subcommittee that will look into whether Cuellar “solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities, or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violated federal money laundering laws; misused his official position for private gain; and/or made false statements or omissions on public disclosure statements filed with the House.”
The other subcommittee members will be Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA) and Madeline Dean (D-PA).
Under committee rules, the committee has 30 days following a member’s criminal indictment to determine whether to open an investigative subcommittee or explain their reasoning as to why they did not.
“The Committee is aware of the risks associated with dual investigations and is in
communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks while still meeting the Committee’s obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House,” Guest and Ivey said in a statement. “No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.”
Cuellar was indicted by a grand jury on May 3 for allegedly accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities, the government of Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank. He and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, are each facing 14 charges that carry a maximum sentence of more than 200 years in prison. It is likely that sentencing in the Cuellars’ case would not result in the maximum penalties.
The Texas congressman declared that he and his wife were innocent hours before the indictment was unsealed, and he continues to maintain that he has committed no wrongdoing.
“I respect the work of the House Ethics Committee,” Cuellar said in a statement. “As I said on May 3rd, I am innocent of these allegations, and everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas.”
The indictment could serve as a nail in the coffin for Cuellar, whose race shifted from “likely Democrat” to “lean Democrat” on May 7, just three days after the Justice Department brought charges.
Cuellar has insisted that he is still running for reelection in November and “will win.” A member of the House’s centrist Blue Dogs and New Democrat Coalitions, Cuellar came to Congress in 2004. He is the sole House Democrat who opposes abortion rights, a flashpoint for several members of his own party.
Many Democrats have steered clear of calling on Cuellar to resign, instead stating that he should have his time in court.
“He’s entitled to make his defense,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said in the days following Cuellar’s indictment. “He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence. We look forward to that process playing out, and just like every American, he’s entitled to that presumption — I think that’s the overwhelming feeling of House Democrats.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
So far, Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) is the only House Democrat to publicly call on Cuellar to resign.
“While the bar for Federal indictment is high, trust in our government is low,” Phillips posted on May 3. “That’s why office holders and candidates under indictment should resign or end their campaigns, including Sen. Bob Menendez, Donald Trump, & Rep. Henry Cuellar.”