Rep. Henry Cuellar thought his corruption scandal was behind him. His brother just dragged him back into the spotlight.
Martin Cuellar, the sheriff of Webb County, Texas, faces a court hearing Thursday over allegations he misappropriated county funds to run his own business. If convicted, he’s looking at 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
The case is a nightmare for Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, who’s trying to move past his own indictment and pardon from President Donald Trump. The congressman was accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from an Azerbaijan-controlled oil company and a Mexican bank before Trump wiped his slate clean last year.
“This pardon gives us a clean slate. The noise is gone. The work remains.”
That was Cuellar’s statement when he announced he’d seek re-election the same day Trump pardoned him. But the noise is back — and it’s coming from inside the family.
Martin Cuellar allegedly used county employees and resources to operate Disinfect Pro Master, his private disinfecting business. According to the Department of Justice, he pocketed roughly $175,000 in illegal proceeds between 2020 and 2022.
“They allegedly opened Disinfect Pro Master in April 2020 and entered into service agreements with local businesses and restaurants despite having no employees or supplies of their own,” the U.S. attorney’s office wrote.
“The indictment alleges WCSO employees handled the company’s day-to-day operations from the sheriff’s office, where they picked up schedules and equipment to conduct disinfecting services both on and off the clock with the county.”
Martin Cuellar has pleaded not guilty. The charges remain allegations. The case has not been proven in court.
But the family ties run deep. FEC filings show Henry Cuellar’s campaign and leadership PAC have funneled $11,000 to his sister Rosie Cuellar for campaign work in 2022, then donated $1,200 to her judicial bid. He donated $8,400 to Martin Cuellar’s sheriff campaigns in 2008 and 2020.
The National Republican Congressional Committee isn’t letting the connection slide.
“The latest legal trouble surrounding Henry Cuellar’s family proves one thing: The scandals didn’t end with Henry. They simply moved down the family tree.”
Christian Martinez, the NRCC’s national Hispanic press secretary, called it a “culture of corruption” in a statement.
“The Cuellar family’s culture of corruption has turned South Texas into a case study of what happens when one self-serving family holds power for too long,” Martinez said.
Cuellar’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Having cleared the Texas primary in March, Cuellar now faces a general election on Nov. 3. He last won re-election in 2024 with 52.8% of the vote against Republican Jay Furman — a margin that could narrow significantly with his brother’s trial hanging over the race.
I want to thank President Trump for his tremendous leadership and for taking the time to look at the facts. I thank God for standing with my family and I during this difficult time. This decision clears the air and lets us move forward for South Texas.
This pardon gives us a… pic.twitter.com/ajNvHq6rG0
— Rep. Henry Cuellar (@RepCuellar) December 3, 2025
