Henry Cuellar launched House re-election bid as Democrat days after Trump pardoned him over bribery charges

Henry Cuellar launched House re-election bid as Democrat days after Trump pardoned him over bribery charges

Days after issuing him a pardon, Donald Trump criticized US House member Henry Cuellar of Texas for deciding to run for re-election as a Democrat.

Trump pardoned Cuellar and the congressman’s wife on Wednesday as they faced bribery charges. They were alleged to have accepted thousands of dollars from Azerbaijan and a Mexican bank in exchange for advancing their interests.

Shortly after the pardon, Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat and said he had no intention of changing his party.

    • takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      13·
      3 days ago

      That stage was there from beginning. Pretty much all people around trump are involved is some kind of corruption. Their loyalty is for sale.

      Also this whole thing is just a spectacle, the guy would have no chance running as a Republican. We need to primary him.

      He was pardoned so Democrats wouldn’t put another candidate, God forbid a progressive.

      Edit: looks like he already has record of voting with Republicans https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/goodbye-henry-cuellar

      • Fondots@lemmy.world
        62·
        3 days ago

        That is just not the case.

        The case that people tend to cite when this comes up is Burdick vs United States, that determined that people can choose to decline a pardon.

        And one of the reasons they gave for why someone may choose to refuse a pardon is because it can be seen as implying guilt.

        Basically, some people will see you take the pardon and think “if he’s innocent, why is he taking a pardon instead of seeking exoneration?”

        But of course, if you know anything about the US “justice” system, that argument falls apart pretty fast.

        Actually admitting guilt is not part of accepting a pardon, it’s just that a lot of people think that it means you’re guilty, and the pardoned people don’t want to have people think that about them.

        And of course spreading this kind of misinformation only makes that issue worse.