Texas Tribune / Chris Stokes
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, at a Get Out the Vote rally in San Antonio on Could 4, 2022.
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WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s corruption trial will happen subsequent yr after Election Day, in response to a courtroom order Friday.
The Laredo Democrat was indicted final month on prices of bribery, cash laundering and illegally engaged on behalf of the Azerbaijani authorities. His trial was scheduled to kick off in July, however now is not going to start till spring 2025 with an interim pretrial convention in December. Jury choice is scheduled to start March 31, 2025.
Each federal prosecutors and Cuellar’s staff requested to delay the trial. Decide Lee Rosenthal, a seasoned decide appointed by President George H.W. Bush, accepted their request. The trial will happen in federal courtroom in Houston.
[National Republicans target Henry Cuellar’s South Texas seat after indictment]
Federal prosecutors allege Cuellar laundered bribes from the Azerbaijani authorities and a Mexican financial institution. In trade, he allegedly advocated laws the financial institution and Azerbaijani authorities supported. That included laws associated to Azerbaijan’s territorial dispute with neighboring Armenia.
Cuellar denies the allegations. He contends his conduct was in keeping with that of different members of Congress and that he’ll proceed operating for reelection this yr.
Cuellar represents Texas’ twenty eighth Congressional District. The district was a aggressive battle floor final cycle with Republicans pouring hundreds of thousands of {dollars} to unseat Cuellar, who has represented the district since 2005. Cuellar additionally fended off a progressive challenger, immigration legal professional Jessica Cisneros, final cycle in a nationally watched main.
Cuellar vanquished his challengers in 2022, beating Republican Cassy Garcia by over 13 factors. Nationwide Republicans declined to mount a severe problem in opposition to him this yr, focusing their consideration on extra aggressive South Texas races.
However after the indictment, unbiased election raters deemed the race extra aggressive. The Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee added Cuellar to its record of targets after the Republican main runoff in Could gave them a candidate: former Navy commander Jay Furman.
This text initially appeared within the Texas Tribune.
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