Democrat Rep. Cuellar Speaks Out After FBI Raids His Home 

McCarthy - Henry Cuellar on 4/15/2021 "Mornings with Maria"
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Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) broke his silence after the FBI reportedly raided his Laredo, Texas, home last week.

In a video uploaded to Twitter, Cuellar thanked voters for their support amid news of the FBI Raid.

As I said last week, I’m fully cooperating with law enforcement and committed to ensuring that justice in the law is upheld. There is an ongoing investigation that will show that there was no wrongdoing on my part. As an attorney, I know firsthand that the legal system is a pillar of our democracy. I pride myself on being your congressman and always doing things honestly, ethically, in the right way.

The FBI raid stems from a federal grand jury inquiry into Cuellar and his wife’s dealings with Azerbaijani officials, according to ABC News. Democrat leaders refused to support Cuellar, one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that she is “not gonna have any comment on this” when asked if Cuellar should step away from his committee positions while the FBI investigation is ongoing. Additionally, a Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee official also declined to comment about support for Cuellar, according to Politico.

News of the raid has emboldened his Democrat primary challenger, Jessica Cisneros, who narrowly lost to Cuellar in the 2020 elections by a margin of fewer than 3,000 votes.

“The FBI investigation into Henry Cuellar is alarming and yet there were already serious concerns about the Congressman’s long history of corruption and close ties with his corporate donors over the voters of this district,” said Cisneros, who recently received the endorsement of far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), who also endorsed Cisneros, expects more congressional support to flow in for the progressive challenger. “Stay tuned. You will see others. We want to make sure we get her as much momentum as possible,” Bowman told Politico.

A Pro-Cuellar PAC has also dropped television ads supporting the Texas representative amid news of the FBI raid.

However, Cuellar reaffirmed his intention to run for reelection in his Tuesday statement.

“Nothing can distract me from being laser focused on getting the job done for you and for South Texas the way I always have,” he said. “Let me be clear. I’m running for reelection, and I intend to win I will continue to represent the Congressional District of Texas, like I always have.”

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