US Rep. Cuellar: ‘No wrongdoing on my part’ after FBI search

LAREDO, Texas - U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar posted a video Tuesday saying he took half in “no wrongdoing” after FBI brokers final week performed a search on the Texas Democrat’s residence, which was a part of an investigation that pertains to the previous Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan, The Related Press has realized.

The FBI has served a raft of subpoenas in Washington, D.C. and in Texas and has additionally performed interviews as a part of the investigation, in accordance with an individual with direct data of the probe who was not licensed to debate it publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity. ABC Information first reported that the investigation associated to Azerbaijan.

Cuellar, who hasn’t been charged with against the law, mentioned within the video posted by his marketing campaign that he was absolutely cooperating with regulation enforcement however supplied no particulars in regards to the investigation.

Federal disclosures present that the nine-term congressman travelled to Azerbaijan 2013. Two years later, Cuellar's workplace introduced an settlement between a Texas college and a company known as the Meeting of Associates of Azerbaijan for the needs of collaborating on oil and gasoline analysis and schooling.

The video was Cuellar’s first on-camera feedback since since brokers have been photographed close to his residence in Laredo on Jan. 19.

“There may be an ongoing investigation that can present that there was no wrongdoing on my half,” Cuellar mentioned. “As an lawyer, I do know first hand that the authorized system is a pillar of our democracy.”

He went on to remind voters that he was nonetheless working for reelection in his border district forward of a rematch in Texas' March 1 major elections in opposition to Jessica Cisneros, a onetime intern in Cuellar’s workplace who got here inside 4 factors of beating him in 2020.

Cuellar serves on the highly effective Home Appropriations Committee and was outspoken in blaming nationwide Democrats’ transfer to the left in the course of the 2020 marketing campaign on points like well being care and the atmosphere as contributing to some disappointing losses within the Home.

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Tucker reported from Washington.