President Donald Trump pardons Texas Democrat Henry Cuellar, citing a ‘weaponised’ justice system, as the congressman faces bribery charges.
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has pardoned Democratic congressman Henry Cuellar in a bribery case.
Trump announced the “full and unconditional” pardon on his Truth Social platform, stating the justice system had been “weaponised” by his predecessor Joe Biden.
“I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight — Your nightmare is finally over!” Trump said.
Cuellar and his wife had been facing charges of conspiracy and bribery for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars from an Azerbaijan-linked oil and gas company.
The couple, who have denied the charges, were due to face trial in April.
“I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts,” Cuellar said in response on social media.
Trump claimed without evidence that Biden’s administration targeted political opponents.
He noted Cuellar had spoken against “Open Borders and the Biden Border ‘Catastrophe.'”
This marks another high-profile pardon from Trump since beginning his second term.
It follows his recent pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was serving a decades-long narcotics sentence.
Trump also pardoned former Illinois Democratic governor Rod Blagojevich in a political corruption case earlier this year.
