The charges against Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, were "very thin," and President Donald Trump's pardon was "exactly the right outcome," said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
"Congressman Cuellar is a beloved member of the House of Representatives, loved in his community, particularly in Laredo," Jeffries said Wednesday during an appearance on CNN.
"The reality is this indictment was very thin to begin with. In my view, the charges were eventually going to be dismissed if not at the trial court level, by the Supreme Court, as they've repeatedly done in instances just like this.
"I don't know why the president decided to do this. I think the outcome was exactly the right outcome," he added.
Trump pardoned Cuellar and his wife in a federal bribery and conspiracy case on Wednesday, citing what he called a "weaponized" justice system.
Trump, who has argued that his own legal troubles were a partisan witch hunt, said on social media without presenting evidence that Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were prosecuted because the congressman had been critical of President Joe Biden's immigration policies.
Trump, a Republican, said in a social media post that Cuellar "bravely spoke out against Open Borders" and accused Biden, a Democrat, of going after the congressman and his wife "simply for speaking the TRUTH."
Federal authorities had charged Cuellar and his wife with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar is accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.
Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent. The couple's trial had been set to begin next April.
Newsmax Wires contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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