President Donald Trump on Wednesday, Dec. 3, announced he had pardoned Texas embattled Congressman Henry Cuellar.

Considered among the most conservative Democrats in the U.S. House, Cuellar won an 11th term in November 2024 despite facing a federal indictment over charges he and his wife, Imelda, who was also pardoned, accepted nearly $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities.

Cuellar has steadfastly said he and his wife did nothing wrong. The couple's trial was set to start in April 2026.

The president seemed to agree with Cuellar. It was Trump's second major pardon this week after pardoning former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was released from federal prison on Dec. 2 on cocaine distribution charges.

"For years, the Biden Administration weaponized the Justice System against their Political Opponents, and anyone who disagreed with them," Trump posted on his Truth Social site. "The Radical Left Democrats are a complete and total threat to Democracy! They will attack, rob, lie, cheat, destroy, and decimate anyone who dares to oppose their Far Left Agenda, an Agenda that, if left unchecked, will obliterate our magnificent Country."

"Because of these facts, and others, I am hereby announcing my full and unconditional PARDON of beloved Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, and Imelda," the president continued, while attaching a letter from the Cuellars' daughters pleading for clemency for their parents to his social media post.

"Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!" Trump concluded.

In a statement, Cuellar thanked Trump for "his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts" and God for standing with him and his family during what he described as a difficult time.

"This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas. This pardon gives us a clean slate," Cuellar posted on X. "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."

Cuellar's two-decade-long congressional history was tainted by indictment

Cuellar, 70, was elected to the Texas House eight times before winning his first election to Congress in 2004. However, the longtime Congressman became vulnerable for an 11th term after a federal indictment in May 2024 accused him and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, of accepting bribes and money laundering.

Prosecutors accused the Cuellars of taking about $600,000 from a company tied to the Azerbaijan government and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. The bribes, according to the indictment, were laundered through shell companies owned by the lawmaker's wife, Imelda Cuellar.

The payments began in at least December 2014 and continued through at least November 2021, according to the indictment. Cuellar previously served as co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.

As the top Democrat on a House Appropriations subcommittee that deals with national security, Cuellar was accused of getting provisions included in major legislation to increase US security spending for Azerbaijan.

The Texas lawmaker was also accused of supporting legislation that would block payday lending regulations and of relaxing criminal money laundering laws on behalf of the Mexican bank.

Despite the indictment, Cuellar still defeated Republican retired naval officer Jay Furman, a district that has increasingly turned red politically and anchored by the border city of Laredo in South Texas, in November 2024.

Cuellar was one of six House Democrats who voted to end recent government shutdown

Cuellar was one of six House Democrats who voted with Republicans on Nov. 12 to pass a funding bill to reopen the federal government, crossing party lines amid much scrutiny to end the nation's longest-ever shutdown.

Trump eventually signed legislation after the House of Representatives voted 222-209 to end the shutdown that had lasted for more than a month and left millions of Americans unable to buy food, left hundreds of thousands of government employees working without pay. Additionally, the shutdown had also shuttered preschool and food benefit programs.

Cuellar, who has previously voted to end government shutdowns, said he was doing the right thing.

"The problem is when Democrats or Republicans think they’re winning at the end of a long shutdown, it’s the American public that loses," Cuellar told NewsNation on Nov. 12. "It takes leadership to understand that if you dig in just to hurt your people, that’s not leadership. A leader is somebody that’s able to step out and say, ‘Look, I got to move forward and do the right thing.’ And this is what I did."

Joey Garrison contributed

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

Terry Collins is a National Correspondent for USA TODAY. He can be reached at tcollins@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Sleep well tonight': Trump pardons embattled Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar

Reporting by Natalie Neysa Alund and Terry Collins, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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