President Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to pardon Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda, arguing the federal bribery case against them was politically motivated and another example of a "weaponized" justice system, The Hill reported.
"It didn't matter," Trump told reporters at the White House when asked whether the pardon would aide Cuellar in getting reelected in next year's midterms.
Cuellar and his wife were indicted in 2024 over allegations that they accepted roughly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-linked energy company and a Mexican bank in exchange for political favors, allegations the couple has denied.
Their trial had been scheduled for April 2026, according to The Associated Press.
"He was a respected person. He was treated very badly because he said that people should not be allowed to pour into our country, and he was right. He didn't like open borders," Trump said.
"As soon as he made that statement, I then said, 'I bet he gets indicted,' and that's what happened," he said. "He got indicted for speaking the truth."
Trump said the case was driven by the Biden administration's political agenda, pointing to Cuellar's past criticism of Biden's immigration policies.
On Truth Social, the president said the prosecution of Cuellar was an example of "when Crooked Joe used the FBI and DOJ to 'take out' a member of his own Party" after the congressman "bravely spoke out against Open Borders."
Cuellar, a conservative-leaning Democrat who has represented South Texas in Congress since the mid-2000s, thanked President Trump following the pardon and said he would remain a Democrat.
The pardon renewed attention on Trump's broader use of clemency, as he has repeatedly framed high-profile cases as unfair or politically tainted, including those in other recent pardons and commutations.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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