Trump blasts the justice system as ‘weaponized’ while saving a Democrat who allegedly took money from Azerbaijan

President Donald Trump issued a full pardon to Texas Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, wiping away their federal bribery and conspiracy charges, as per AP News. This is a massive development, especially since Trump cited what he calls a “weaponized” justice system as the reason for his clemency decision.

Trump, who constantly argues that his own extensive legal troubles are nothing more than a partisan witch hunt, used that same reasoning to defend the Democratic congressman. He claimed that the couple was prosecuted specifically because Cuellar had been critical of President Joe Biden’s immigration policies. The Republican president praised Cuellar for having “bravely spoken out against Open Borders,” and then accused Biden, a Democrat, of targeting the congressman and his wife “for speaking the TRUTH.”

So, what exactly were the charges? Federal authorities had accused Cuellar and his wife of accepting thousands of dollars. In exchange for this money, Cuellar allegedly agreed to advance the interests of both an energy company controlled by Azerbaijan and a bank in Mexico. Specifically, he was accused of agreeing to influence legislation favorable to Azerbaijan and even deliver a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the U.S. House.

This camaraderie appears rather shady, especially when bipartisan pressure is mounting on Trump

The couple had always maintained their innocence, and their trial was set to begin next April. After receiving the news, Cuellar spoke briefly to reporters outside his congressional office, offering thanks to the president. “I think the facts have been clear about this,” he stated, adding, “I want to thank God for standing during this very difficult time with my family and I. Now we can get back to work.”

We now know that Cuellar’s two daughters, Christina and Catherine, played a direct role in appealing to the president. They sent a letter to Trump asking him to pardon their parents. They wrote that when Trump and his family faced their own challenges, they “understood that pain in a very human way.” In turn, Trump made the pardon personal in his social media post, writing, “Henry, I don’t know you, but you can sleep well tonight. Your nightmare is finally over!”

This whole scenario is fascinating because Cuellar is a moderate Democrat who represents an area on the Texas-Mexico border. He has a long history of breaking ranks with his party on issues like immigration and firearms. He was one of the most vocal critics of the Biden administration’s response to the record number of migrants crossing the border. He’s also one of the last remaining Democrats in Congress who oppose abortion rights.

Trump was later asked by a reporter if he had spoken with GOP leaders about the pardon and if he was concerned it might strengthen Cuellar’s re-election prospects next year. Trump dismissed the idea, saying, “It didn’t matter” because Cuellar was targeted for his comments on immigration. “He represents the people on the border and he saw what was happening,” Trump said.

Among other people at the receiving end of Trump’s clemency lies a $1.8 billion fraud CEO, as well as con artist parents of a reality TV star.