The House Ethics Committee opened an inquiry into Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), who has been indicted on federal bribery charges, the panel announced on Wednesday.
An investigative subcommittee will look into whether Cuellar “solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities, or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violated federal money laundering laws; misused his official position for private gain; and/or made false statements or omissions on public disclosure statements filed with the House,” a press release said.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) will serve as chair of the investigative subcommittee while Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) will serve as ranking member. Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA) were picked to round out the team.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in early May the unsealing of an indictment against Cuellar and his wife Imelda in the Southern District of Texas, accusing them of participating in schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering.
Cuellar, a 68-year-old who this year is running for an 11th term in the House, accepted $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities — an energy company controlled by Azerbaijan and a bank headquartered in Mexico City — in exchange for official acts as a member of Congress, the DOJ said.
In response to the indictment, Cuellar said he and his wife were “innocent of these allegations.” Cuellar also said he “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 congressman added, “Furthermore, we requested a meeting with the Washington D.C. prosecutors to explain the facts and they refused to discuss the case with us or hear our side.”
Rules for the House Ethics Committee dictate that the panel shall either establish an investigative subcommittee or report to the House describing its reasons for not establishing an investigative subcommittee within 30 days of a member being “indicted or otherwise formally charged with criminal conduct.”
Members of the House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to establish an investigative subcommittee, the panel said.
The committee also noted that it is “aware of the risks associated with dual investigations and is in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks while still meeting the Committee’s obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.”
In concluding its statement, the House Ethics Committee said, “No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.”
