"For the latest bit of proof that President Donald Trump has lost his political mojo and that his era is one of political rot, look no further than the curious case of Texas Congressman Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat. Here's the timeline: In 2022, just weeks before a competitive primary, federal agents raided Cuellar's home and offices. The Biden Justice Department was investigating Cuellar and his wife for accepting approximately $600,000 over seven years from an oil and gas company wholly owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank headquartered in Mexico City. In May 2024, federal prosecutors secured a 14-count indictment on bribery and money laundering charges."
"As Texas became a crucial backstop to retaining a majority in the U.S. House after the midterms, Trump started wooing Cuellar a harsh critic of the Biden border policy as a potential ally. When that didn't bear fruit, Trump last week suggested the charges against Cuellar were politically motivated and issued the congressman and his wife a surprise pardon. Cuellar immediately filed for reelection, as a Democrat. Trump immediately got mad. Such a lack of LOYALTY, the president wrote in a social media post on Sunday, adding a warning: No more Mr. Nice guy!"
"Two things are evident here: The master of the art of the deal hadn't sealed a deal before he impulsively issued the pardon, and the whole episode the presidential abuse of the pardon power, the two-tiered justice system, and the corrupt disregard for the rule of law is emblematic of our sorry times. Trump assumed that because he hands out pardons to both the accused and convicted like penny candy, the Cuellars would respond with"
Federal agents raided Henry Cuellar's home and offices in 2022, weeks before a competitive primary. The Justice Department investigated Cuellar and his wife for accepting about $600,000 over seven years from an oil and gas company owned by the Azerbaijani government and a Mexico City–based bank. In May 2024 federal prosecutors indicted the couple on 14 counts including bribery and money laundering. U.S. attorneys under Trump later dropped two charges in August 2025. Cuellar denied wrongdoing, blamed political targeting over immigration policy disagreements, and filed for reelection as a Democrat after receiving a surprise presidential pardon. The pardon intensified concerns about abuse of clemency and unequal justice.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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