The Justice Department will likely declare the indictment of longtime Democratic Representative Henry Cuellar, on Friday following a federal investigation for alleged ties with Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen.
Rep. Cuellar, D-Texas, is also a one-time co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus.
His home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were raided by authorities in January 2022; however, no arrests or charges were made, according to NBC News.
Despite the raid, Cuellar narrowly managed to defeat a progressive challenger, Jessica Cisneros, in his 2022 primary and subsequently secured re-election to his seat that November.
Cuellar denied any wrongdoing in a statement Friday, insisting he had "proactively sought legal advice" from the House Ethics Committee, which had issued "more than one written opinion" about the matter.
"I want to be clear that both my wife and I are innocent of these allegations. Everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas," Cuellar said.
He made sure to highlight his intention to seek re-election:
"Let me be clear: I'm running for re-election and will win this November."
Delanie Bomar, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, stated:
"Henry Cuellar does not put Texas first; he puts himself first. If his colleagues truly believe in putting 'people over politics,' they will call on him to resign."
Two Republicans will face each other in a runoff election in late May for a chance to take on Cuellar in the fall.
