Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) is receiving some support from colleagues across the political spectrum after his recent indictment. The response to his case stands in stark contrast to how two other lawmakers—Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.)—have been treated after their indictments.
Why does this matter? Menendez faced bribery charges, including allegations that he accepted bribes in the form of gold bars, leading over half of his Democratic Senate colleagues to call for his resignation. Similarly, Santos was expelled from the House in a bipartisan vote after two federal indictments and a scathing Ethics Committee report.
What’s the story? Cuellar was indicted by the Justice Department on Friday, accused of accepting almost $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijani government-controlled oil company and a Mexican bank. The South Texas congressman is alleged to have pushed legislation and exerted pressure on executive branch officials to benefit Azerbaijan and the bank. Cuellar has asserted his innocence and plans to seek re-election in November.
The current state of affairs: The National Republican Congressional Committee has challenged Democrats to call for Cuellar’s resignation, much like they did with Santos. So far, only one Democrat, retiring Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), has echoed that sentiment.
What are people saying? House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emphasized that Cuellar is “entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process.” Similarly, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told Axios that Cuellar would get due process and commended him for stepping down from his subcommittee chairmanship. A senior House Democrat suggested that calls for Cuellar’s resignation are unlikely, noting that Phillips may not be the best gauge for such matters, but acknowledged that there’s concern about hypocrisy compared to Santos.
However, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said he didn’t know enough about the case to comment, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shared a similar sentiment. A House Republican pointed out that the typical process involves allegations, a criminal trial, and an ethics review, but described the Santos situation as “extraordinary,” with “bizarre” fabrications and FEC violations that created a “good soap opera.” A House Democrat agreed that Cuellar’s case lacks the sensational aspects of Santos’s story.
Zooming in: Republicans might be hesitant to push for Cuellar’s resignation because of their connection to former President Donald Trump, who is facing four criminal indictments. Trump has defended Cuellar, with Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) suggesting that the former president’s legal troubles have influenced how Republicans view indictments. Hern added that Cuellar should be given the benefit of the doubt until proven guilty.
