The family of Democratic US Representative Henry Cuellar is facing a new corruption case. Representative Cuellar's brother Martin Cuellar is accused of embezzling county resources while serving as Webb County Sheriff in Texas, and he will appear in court on Thursday.
The charges against Martin Cuellar are the latest in a series of events that have overshadowed the family's political career. According to the US Department of Justice, Martin Cuellar used county employees and materials for his own disinfectant company, Disinfect Pro Master, between 2020 and 2022. Prosecutors allege that he generated approximately $175,000 in illegal income through this company, which had no employees or materials of its own. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The representative pardoned by Trump
The case against his brother comes on top of Henry Cuellar's own legal troubles. The Democratic Texas representative Henry Cuellar was accused last year of accepting about $600,000 in bribes from an energy company controlled by the Azerbaijani government and a Mexican bank. However, he was cleared of those charges by a pardon issued by President Donald Trump.
After the pardon, Cuellar, who stated, "This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is over, the work continues," launched a reelection campaign. Cuellar won the Texas primary in March and is set to compete in the November 3 general election. In the 2024 elections, he defeated Republican challenger Jay Furman with 52.8% to 47.2% of the vote.
Family financial ties
The Cuellar family's close financial ties are also reflected in Federal Election Commission records. In 2022, Henry Cuellar's campaign paid his sister Rosie Cuellar $11,000 and donated $1,200 to her judicial campaign. Martin Cuellar's sheriff campaigns in 2008 and 2020 received a total of $8,400 in support.
National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) National Hispanic Press Secretary Christian Martinez said in a statement: "The latest legal trouble surrounding Henry Cuellar's family proves that the scandals don't end with Henry, they just move down the family tree." Martinez added, "The Cuellar family's culture of corruption has turned South Texas into a case study of the consequences of a family staying in power too long, serving only their own interests."
Henry Cuellar's campaign team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
