Congressman Henry Cuellar accused of bribery, money laundering [Video]

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a powerful South Texas Democrat, was indicted with his wife Imelda on Friday on charges of accepting almost $600,000 in bribes from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank.

Cuellar allegedly accepted the payments from Azerbaijan’s state-run oil and gas company after they had been laundered through fake consulting contracts to shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar, according to the indictment. In exchange, the Laredo congressman allegedly pushed U.S. policy in favor of Azerbaijan, an oil-rich former Soviet country that borders Iran and Russia on the Caspian sea. That includes adding language to defense spending legislation to prioritize ties to countries in the region, including with Azerbaijan, and working to kill legislation prioritized by members who supported Armenian interests.

Cuellar also allegedly took money from a retail Mexican bank and influenced members of the …