By Evaristo Lara
May 4, 2024, 12:52 PM EDT
Dean Phillips, representative of Minnesota, requested the resignation of the also Democrat Henry Cuellar, senator accused along with his wife of having received bribes in exchange for using his position in Congress to influence US foreign policy in favor of the interests of an Azerbaijani oil company and a bank that operates from Mexico.
The politician who last year aspired to become the Democratic candidate to compete for the presidency of the nation, now became the first Democrat in the House of Representatives to call for the resignation of the senator from Texas, hours after he was accused of alleged bribery and money laundering
Friday evening, The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) accused Cuéllar and his wife Imelda of conspiracy and bribery for allegedly obtaining $600,000 in bribes between 2014 and 2021.
An ongoing investigation indicates that an energy company based in Azerbaijan and a bank that operates from Mexico City promoting the interests of the former Soviet republic in the United States, were allegedly those who participated in the bribery.
In 2022, as part of an investigation into a group of American businessmen and their ties to the country, police raided the home and office of Cuellar who has since agreed to cooperate with the investigation.
About, Dean Phillips issued a message on his social networks demanding that politicians entangled in bribery issues immediately present their resignation from positions or tasks that link them to American politics.
“While the bar for a federal indictment is high, trust in our government is low. “That is why the accused officials and candidates should resign or end their campaigns, including Senator Bob Menendez, Donald Trump and Representative Henry Cuellar,” the text states.
For its part, The DOJ established its position regarding the accusations against Senator Cuellar and his wife.
“The bribe payments were allegedly laundered, pursuant to false consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and intermediaries in shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, who performed little or no legitimate work under the contracts.
In exchange for bribes paid by Azerbaijan’s oil and gas company, congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to use his position to influence US foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan.
In exchange for bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking officials of the Executive Branch of the United States regarding measures beneficial to the bank,” he noted.
Under this approach, the Cuellar couple faces two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and for a public official to act as an agent of a foreign principal, two counts of bribery of a federal official, two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud honest services electronic mail, two counts of violating the prohibition on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal, one count of conspiracy to commit covert money laundering and five counts of money laundering.
Keep reading:
* Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar and his wife were accused of receiving bribes
* Congressman Cuellar assures that the FBI investigation will demonstrate that he committed no irregularities
* Democrat Dean Phillips argues that Joe Biden should be replaced on the ballot