BREAKING: Longtime Democrat Lawmaker Henry Cuellar To Be Indicted By The Department Of Justice

On Friday, the Department of Justice is expected to announce an indictment against longtime Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX). Cuellar, a Blue Dog Democrat from southern Texas, had his home and office raided in January 2022 amid a federal investigation into American businessmen connected to Azerbaijan. The nearly two-decade veteran lawmaker was once the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.

It is not yet known whether the indictment is related to the 2022 raid, however, Cuellar has stated that his office has been cooperating with authorities on the investigation. According to NBC News, staffers in Cuellar's office have reportedly begun calling Capitol Hill offices seeking advice on handling the upcoming indictment.

In response to the expected indictment, Cuellar said in a statement that he was innocent of all allegations against him. "I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas," the congressman said. "Before I took my action, I proactively sought legal advice from the House Ethics Committee, who gave me more than one written opinion, along with an additional opinion from a national law firm. The actions I took in Congress were conssitent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people."

The Texas Democrat that explained that his wife, Imelda, was also innocent of any wrongdoing, "The allegation that she is anything but qualified and hard working is both wrong and offensive." He also said that he would be running for re-election despite the incoming indictment.

Cuellar was first elected to represent Texas' 28th District in Congress in 2004 and he is currently running for his 11th term in Congress. He hasn't faced any significant Republican opposition during his tenure, defeating Cassy Garcia (R-TX) by more than 13 points in 2022.

Read Cuellar's full statement below:

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.

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