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WASHINGTON– At the demand of district attorneys, a government court showed up prepared to disregard 2 of the 14 costs affirming Rep. Henry Cuellar and his partner approved $600,000 in allurements from Azerbaijan and a Mexican financial institution in a Thursday hearing.
While the Laredo Democrat and his partner still encounter bribery costs coming from a 2024 charge, the court rejected 2 costs that Cuellar and his partner were working as representatives of an international entity.
Cuellar and his partner have actually refuted any type of misbehavior. Cuellar’s lawful group is still looking for a termination of the whole charge, saying both costs rejected Thursday can not be conveniently excised from the continuing to be loads, lawyer Eric Reid informed The Texas Tribune.
The court likewise pressed the test, slated to begin following month, to very early following year.
The termination follows united state Attorney general of the United States Pam Bondi provided a memorandum tightening the enforcement of legislations connecting to international lobbying and bribery.
The united state Division of Justice prosecuted Cuellar in 2024 charging him of approving settlements from an Azerbaijan-run oil-and-gas firm washed with seeking advice from agreements. For the settlements, district attorneys stated, Cuellar functioned to progress united state plan desirable to the Azerbaijan federal government, consisting of with protection investing regulations and functioning to eliminate regulations viewed as desirable to Armenian rate of interests.
The 11-term congressman was likewise implicated of approving funds from an industrial Mexican financial institution while collaborating with a subsidiary of the financial institution to press with regulations helpful to the payday-lending sector, a kind of high-interest lending mostly targeted at low-income people with high prices of default.
He likewise apparently aided overrule anti-money laundering plans by affecting participants of the executive branch.
2 of Cuellar’s political consultants begged guilty in 2015 on costs that they conspired to wash $200,000 in allurements from the Mexican financial institution.
Cuellar is dealing with a challenging reelection in the South Texas seat he has actually held because 2005, with National Republican politician teams watching his lawful legend as ripe for political strike. Cuellar won reelection by concerning 5 factors in 2024 regardless of his charge.
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