President Donald Trump granted Cuellar clemency in a surprise move last week, saying the Texas Democrat was targeted for speaking out against some of President Joe Biden’s policies, including his immigration agenda.

“Listen, the reality is this indictment was very thin to begin with, in my view,” Jeffries said. “The charges were eventually going to be dismissed, if not at the trial court level, by the Supreme Court, as they’ve repeatedly done in instances just like this.”

  • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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    2 days ago

    Cuellar was charged in 2024 for allegedly accepting $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities, according to an indictment released by the Justice Department. The indictment accused Cuellar of accepting payments from Azerbaijan’s state-run oil-and-gas company after they had been laundered through shell companies owned by his wife.

    America is so corrupt. And so many people there have the gall talk about other countries.

    • Skankhunt420@sh.itjust.works
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      2 days ago

      What’s wild about this too is that if you get a speeding ticket or something and don’t pay or miss property tax payments for a year they will send police to your house.

      If you or I (I’m assuming you’re not a politician since you mentioned corruption) laundered even $10,000 through shell companies we would get 10 to 20 years in prison and fines of double the amount laundered. And can’t own or operate LLCs again.

      But when fucks in suits do it they get pardoned and hired back. I bet his wife got to keep those companies too.

      • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        If a commoner got caught money laundering, they would get fucked.

        I actually had my bank accounts frozen because I miscalculated a quarterly tax payment by 2 dollars equivalent in local currency. Had to ask my family members to pay because all my money was frozen.

        I will add that corruption isn’t unique to the US of course. I am from Ukraine and it’s actually what I hate most about my country, how people don’t pay taxes and come up with dumb excuses like “well the oligarchs are stealing, we should start at the top first”. That being said, at least people here recognize that corruption is wrong and that there is no real way forward without addressing it.

        Considering that this fellow was reinstated by the Democrats, it means they don’t really feel any pressure from the public.

        This is not a recent thing either. I was living in the US in the late 2000s and I thought it was interesting how Obama decided to simply not prosecute the financial services oligarchs gangs after the great recession. One would think this is a historical opportunity to make them take responsibility for their actions.

    • I_Jedi@lemmy.today
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      2 days ago

      It feels like Rome in the 3rd century. Only thing we’re missing are people usurping the position of President and “[pretender] was murdered by his own troops”.