US President Donald Trump has pardoned a moderate Democrat and his “wonderful” wife after they were charged with bribery.
Mr Trump said he was granting a “full and unconditional pardon” to the “beloved” 70-year-old Democratic House Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas, who has served in Congress for more than two decades, and his wife Imelda.
Mr Cuellar, who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border, has a history of breaking with his party on issues including immigration and firearms.
The couple were last year indicted for allegedly accepting close to $600,000 (£449,600) in bribes in two schemes meant to benefit an Azerbaijani state-owned energy company and an unnamed bank based in Mexico.
Posting on his social media platform Truth Social on Wednesday, Mr Trump said, without providing evidence, that Mr Cuellar and his wife had been prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of former US president Joe Biden’s immigration policies.
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“For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them,” Mr Trump said.
“One of the clearest examples of this was when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to ‘take out’ a member of his own Party after Highly Respected Congressman Henry Cuellar bravely spoke out against Open Borders, and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe.’
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“Sleepy Joe went after the Congressman, and even the Congressman’s wonderful wife, Imelda, simply for speaking the TRUTH,” the US president wrote, adding: “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight.
“Your nightmare is finally over!”
Mr Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent. The couple’s trial had been set to begin next April.
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Mr Cuellar reacted on X, saying: “I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts.”
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He went on: “This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.
“This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains. And I intend to meet it head on.
“Thank you Mr. President, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.”
