[NB: check the byline, thanks. /~Rayne]
It’s Friday afternoon and we’re much in need of an open thread.
Centrist Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) gave us something to talk about to start off this thread. The Department of Justice announced today Cuellar and his wife Imelda have been indicted:
An indictment was unsealed today in the Southern District of Texas charging U.S. Congressman Enrique Roberto “Henry” Cuellar, 68, and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, both of Laredo, Texas, with participating in two schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering. Congressman Cuellar and Imelda Cuellar made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston.
As DOJ notes in its press release, An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
That said, you’d think a guy with a J.D. would at least avoid the appearance of bribery and money laundering, let alone foreign influence after the last nine years of Trump-y foreign influenced corruption.
Maybe Cuellar thought his firm grip on his House seat over the last 19 years was a permission slip. Maybe his DINO status and the inability of the state of Texas to hold corrupt asshats like state AG Ken Paxton fully accountable assured Cuellar he wouldn’t have to deal with the DOJ.
Whatever the case, Cuellar and his spouse are going to go through something and TX-28 Democrats are unfortunately going to have to come up with a backup plan if Cuellar ends up proven guilty, especially since Cuellar was uncontested in the March primary.
Again, this is an open thread.