Sassounian Comments on Cong. Cuellar’s Indictment for Taking Bribes from Azerbaijan

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife took hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to promote the government of the oil-rich nation of Azerbaijan, according to the Justice Department.

Cuellar and his wife were indicted in Texas Friday after they were allegedly paid $600,000 by an Azerbaijani oil company to “perform official acts in his capacity as a Member of Congress, to commit acts in violation of his official duties and to act as an agent of the Government of Azerbaijan,” according to reports.

Azerbaijan, a longtime enemy of Armenia, paid Cuellar to try and influence U.S. policy on the conflict by “giving a Pro-Azerbaijani speech on the House floor, by inserting language into legislation and reports and pushing a “series of legislative measures relating to Azerbaijan’s conflict with neighboring Armenia,” CNN reported Friday.

In a statement reported by multiple outlets, Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, denied any wrongdoing.

“The actions I took in Congress were consistent with the actions of many of my colleagues and in the interest of the American people,” Cuellar said.

The congressman’s home and office were raided by the FBI in 2022.

Harut Sassounian, the publisher of the English-language Armenian newspaper The California Courier, said that the allegations sound similar to those made against some European officials. Sassounian said that the charges sound like the “caviar diplomacy” — wining and dining foreign officials and showering them with lavish gifts — that Azerbaijan is known for.

“It’s a very well-known thing,” Sassounian said.

A spokesperson for House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said that Cuellar will step down from the House Appropriations Subcommittee while the investigation is ongoing, CNN reported.

“Henry Cuellar has admirably devoted his career to public service and is a valued Member of the House Democratic Caucus,” the spokesperson said. “Like any American, Congressman Cuellar is entitled to his day in court and the presumption of innocence throughout the legal process.”

House Republican have called on Cuellar to resign.