WASHINGTON, Dec 22 – Former President Donald Trump issued pardons to โฃU.S. โฃRepresentative Henry โCuellar of Texas and his โwife, Imelda Cuellar, on Friday, averting potentialโ criminal charges stemming from a federal examination.
Theโ pardons, announced โขby โthe White โคHouse, come as the โคCuellars had been under scrutiny in a โprobe involving alleged โขbribery and illicit dealings โwith a foreign government. representative Cuellar, aโฃ moderate Democrat, โhas โขmaintained his innocence throughout the investigation. The pardon โeffectively โคhalts any potential prosecution, โshieldingโ theโฃ couple from criminal liability.The case against Cuellarโ centered on allegations of accepting bribes โขfrom a โMexican intelligence official and a Mexicanโข bankโฃ in exchange for influencing U.S. policy.Federal investigators had been building a caseโข for โmonths,scrutinizing the Cuellars’ financial dealings โand communications. The pardon raises questionsโ about potential politicalโ motivations and the extentโข ofโข Trump’s involvement with the congressman.โ It also underscores the ongoing legal vulnerabilities faced by โpublic officialsโฃ and the โคpotential for presidential intervention in criminalโฃ matters.The โDepartment of Justice hasโข notโฃ yet commented on โthe pardon.
