HOUSTON (AP) — A judge on Thursday granted a request by federal prosecutors to dismiss two of the 14 counts against U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas and his wife, as part of a federal bribery and conspiracy indictment. The judge also ordered that their trial, which had been set for September, be rescheduled for next year.
Prosecutors with the U.S. Justice Department had asked U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal to dismiss two counts that Cuellar and his wife had each faced related to violating the prohibition on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal.
Federal authorities have charged Cuellar, 69, and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, with accepting thousands of dollars in exchange for the congressman advancing the interests of an Azerbaijan-controlled energy company and a bank in Mexico. Cuellar has said he and his wife are innocent.
Prosecutors said they were dismissing the two counts following a February memorandum from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi that shifted the focus of charges filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law is aimed at ensuring transparency about lobbying efforts done in the U.S. at the direction of foreign governments or principals.
Bondi’s memorandum said that such charges “shall be limited to instances of alleged conduct similar to more traditional espionage by foreign government actors.”
During a Zoom court hearing, Rosenthal said she was set to file an order granting the prosecution’s motion to dismiss the two counts.
Cuellar and his wife each still face 12 charges, including conspiracy, bribery and money laundering.
Rosenthal also granted a request from both prosecutors and attorneys for the Cuellars to reschedule their trial in Houston. The couple’s trial had been set to begin Sept. 22. Rosenthal agreed to move it to April 6.
Cuellar has served in Congress for over 20 years, and his district stretches from San Antonio to the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas.
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