Trump Pardons Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar in $600K Azerbaijan Bribery Case

President Trump pardoned Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife Imelda, ending a 12-count federal prosecution alleging $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and a Mexican commercial bank. Trump framed the charges as Biden-era political retaliation for Cuellar's pro-border stance. Cuellar announced he would run for reelection as a Democrat. The pardon drew bipartisan criticism over the use of executive clemency to terminate active corruption prosecutions.