Among the over 600 faculty members at the University of Texas at Austin who signed onto a letter stating that they have “no confidence” in the university president because he took swift action against anti-Israel protesters are radical liberal professors who blamed Israel for Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack. Led by Pauline Turner Strong, a women’s and gender studies professor who is currently studying the “role of indigenous nations and movements in climate justice activism,” the professors say that President Jay Hartzell “has shown himself to be unresponsive to urgent faculty, staff, and student concerns” “He has violated our trust,” the letter states. “The University is no longer a safe and welcoming place for the diverse community of students and scholars who until now have called this campus home.” The faculty take issue not only with Hartzell’s handling of the protests — he brought in police to forcibly disperse students that formed an encampment — but also his decision to fire dozens of diversity, equity, and inclusion staffers at the university. Hartzell “capitulated to political pressure” by dissolving the Division of Campus and Community Engagement (DCCE) last month, the letter states, resulting in the firing of “at least forty staff — predominantly women and people of color.” The letter and signature campaign is coordinated by the union, American Association of University Professors at UT Austin, which co-organized a “Stop the Purge” rally to protest the firings. “President Hartzell needlessly put students, staff and faculty in danger,” the letter states. “Dozens of students were arrested for assembling peacefully on their own campus.” The letter currently stands at 657 signatures, making up about 20% of the roughly 3,200 faculty members at the university. Only seven signatures are publicly displayed on the website with the posted letter, all of whom are AAUP chapter officers. These include professors Pauline Turner Strong, Brian L. Evans, Karma R. Chávez, Andrea C. Gore, Lauren Jae Gutterman, Steven Seegel, and Julia Mickenberg. The Daily Wire obtained a copy of the letter with all of the signatories listed, and identified several with a history of anti-Israel activism. One of the most controversial signatories is Nahid Siamdoust, an assistant professor in the Middle Eastern Studies department who put the blame on Israel in the immediate wake of Hamas committing its massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7. “This is the moment when the world powers need to step in and say enough is enough,” Siamdoust posted. “End the occupation. There won’t be peace otherwise. Let’s stop this bloodshed. Let’s solve this problem. Instead they empower Israel to retaliate indiscriminately. My [heart breaks] for all the innocent.” This is the moment when the world powers need to step in and say enough is enough. End the occupation. There won’t be peace otherwise. Let’s stop this bloodshed. Let’s solve this problem. Instead they empower Israel to retaliate indiscriminately. My 💔 for all the innocent. — Nahid Siamdoust (@nahid8) October 8, 2023 In a tweet two days later, she said she was “ashamed” by seeing exiled Iranians celebrating “Israel’s illegal siege and indiscriminate killing of Palestinians with the military & financial might of the world.” African diaspora and gender studies professor Pavithra Vasudevan, a member of the Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, frequently sports a keffiyeh and has attended anti-Israel rallies on campus. In one video, she is heard telling students that she “lost confidence” in the university for “inviting the police state to take over this campus.” “The police do not protect us, we protect us,” she added. “This is our space, this is our campus.” Associate Dean for Faculty Mentoring and Development, Peniel E. Joseph, also signed onto the letter and published an op-ed on Thursday accusing the school of assaulting democracy by firing the DEI-focused faculty members.  “What we are experiencing here in Texas is an assault on the nation’s democracy,” Joseph wrote. “As in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Florida, Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts here amplify conservative legislators’ vision of ‘reclaiming’ the university from a so-called ‘woke mob’ apparently populated by folks who look like me.” The faculty letter demands that criminal charges be dropped “against students and others,” that students not face disciplinary action, and that the school “respect the first Amendment free speech rights of students and faculty.” The idea for the letter began as police were still arresting people on campus last Wednesday, according to the Austin American-Statesman. While the number of faculty who signed on to the letter is certainly large, there is also substantial support for Hartzell in the university community. A letter of support for Hartzell organized by Alums for Campus Fairness thanks him for his “decisive action in putting an end to the recent antisemitic encampment on campus.” Organizers say the letter in support of Hartzell already has 9,137 signatories from its community of alumni, parents of students, and donors to the university. 

When Daily Wire host Michael Knowles spoke last month at the University of Utah, he was met with a host of leftist protesters and university-approved transgender flags filling the building he was speaking in — a demonstration that was in part supported by the school faculty.  The protest took place as Knowles, who had been brought to campus by the Young America’s Foundation, gave a speech on the problems with transgender ideology on April 8 at the university. At the same time, Philip Osteen, the dean of Utah’s College of Social Work, reportedly extended the school’s Pride celebration so that it coincided with Knowles’ speech and approved for transgender and LGBT flags and banners to fill the building Knowles was set to speak in.  Osteen, the dean of the building where Knowles spoke, approved the trans flag demonstration, but said he couldn’t give the go-ahead for students to put up American flags when pressed by YAF representative Breana Marsh.  Meet Philip Osteen, the College of Social Work dean at the University of Utah—a public school—who was so bothered by my presence on campus that he prevented @YAF students from flying American flags in the foyer, where his college had sponsored a trans propaganda extravaganza. pic.twitter.com/awuioyARWk — Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) May 4, 2024 “I think it’s a gross misuse to say that we’re going to make a safe place, we’re going to make students feel represented and protected, and everyone feels safe, at the absolute hanging of your conservative students,” Marsh said in audio shared by YAF with The Daily Wire.  Osteen said she should bring her concerns to the dean of students, saying that YAF could put up American flags in the room where Knowles was speaking but “not in the decoration of this building.” He then said that if YAF got approval from facilities and the dean of students that they could put up American flags. When asked why he could approve Pride flags, but not the American flag, he said “because I approved these to go up as a celebration of our pride.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP When asked about why Pride week had been continued into a second week, Osteen said it was because the school wanted students to know it was “an inclusive place to support trans rights, LGBTQ2s rights.” Later, during his speech Knowles commented on the amount of students who had shown up to oppose him. He said he was surprised that even in “meek and mild Utah,” he saw a video of “some wild banshee-like lady accosting, assaulting one of the students here as the student was hanging up flyers for this lecture tonight.” One protester, who did not listen to Knowles’ speech, sat down with The Daily Wire host after to discuss their views. During their conversation, Knowles pushed him to reconsider his acceptance of transgender ideology.  WATCH: 

President Joe Biden’s team has quietly shuffled in and implemented a new safeguard in their ongoing efforts to shield him from the prying questions — and eyes — of the White House Press Corps. According to a report published last week by Axios, the president’s staff plans to redouble their efforts to flank him as he makes the short walk across the White House lawn to and from Marine One. Their goal, apparently, is to steer him away from the reporters shouting questions and to hide his uneven gait from their cameras. In response to concerns that walking alone across the grass has drawn attention to his age and sometimes halting and uneven steps, Biden has been surrounded by staffers or lawmakers nine of the ten times he’s made that trip since April 16, ccording to the Axios report. A White House official told Axios that the idea was Biden’s and he told aides that he'd prefer a less formal approach to walking and suggested that they walk with him. "He's fully visible except for a few seconds. Impeach," WH spokesman Andrew Bates said. — Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) April 26, 2024 Axios’ Alex Thompson noted that Biden has also opted for athletic shoes with sturdier soles that could help minimize the risk that he would slip or trip while walking. Latest example of this new approach this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/KgZv25U6z8 — Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) April 26, 2024 He followed that with a video showing Biden exiting Marine One via the front door — and within seconds, he was surrounded by several others who had exited to the rear. In the days since, Biden’s team has taken things a step further — and in at least one case, they barred the White House Press Corps from approaching the president’s path until he was already boarding Marine One, too far away to hear even their shouted questions. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP **BREAKING** Reporters are shocked as Biden boards Marine One in secret. The press were only allowed to film once he was on the helicopter. ‘Wow… He boarded before the press could even get out here.’pic.twitter.com/O6JCoAmU07 — The First (@TheFirstonTV) May 2, 2024 “Wow, the president just boarded Marine One without taking any questions, and he boarded before the press could even get out here,” one reporter could be heard complaining. Despite early promises of transparency, President Biden’s team has effectively sequestered him, scheduling very few interviews with friendly outlets like Howard Stern’s radio show and Ryan Seacrest’s New Year’s Eve broadcast. Biden’s lack of press availability has been such a stark contrast to former President Donald Trump’s near-constant banter with the press that it has raised the ire of New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger. “Systematically avoiding interviews and questions from major news organizations doesn’t just undermine an important norm, it also establishes a dangerous precedent that future presidents can use to avoid scrutiny and accountability,” the NYT said in a recent statement.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from two foreign entities. The 68-year-old congressman was charged along with his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, with participating in two alleged schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering, the DOJ said in a statement. The Cuellars allegedly took nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company that is wholly owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank that is headquartered in Mexico city. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Cuellar promised to use the power and prestige of his office to advance Azerbaijan’s and Foreign Bank-1’s interests in the United States,” the DOJ said. “The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. Cuellar performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts.” The indictment comes after the FBI raided Cuellar’s home and campaign office back in 2022 as part of the criminal investigation into the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen. Numerous items were seized during the raid. Prosecutors allege that in-exchange for the bribes, Cuellar, who is the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, used his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in a manner favorable to Azerbaijan. “In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank,” the DOJ said. Both individuals were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal; two counts of bribery of a federal official; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal; one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering; and five counts of money laundering. If convicted on all of the charges, both individuals face a maximum of up to 204 years in prison. This report has been updated to include additional information. 

Columbia President Minouche Shafik said Friday that the occupation of a campus building by anti-Israel protesters was a “violent act” that placed the campus community in danger.  In a video put out Friday, Shafik spoke about the unrest that had roiled the campus after students and others protesting Israel’s war with Hamas set up an encampment on campus and demanded the university cut off any ties to Israel. Shafik has faced criticism from some who said she allowed the encampment to go on too long while others accused her of reacting too strongly.  “These past two weeks have been among the most difficult in Colombia’s history. The turmoil and tension, division and disruption have impacted the entire community. You, our students, have paid an especially high price,” she said. “We tried very hard to resolve the issue of the encampment through dialogue.” She then said that the university was ultimately unable to reach an agreement with the protesters before referencing the occupation of Columbia’s Hamilton Hall by anti-Israel protesters. Early Tuesday morning, protesters barricaded themselves inside while they demanded the school to divest from Israel while smashing windows and unfurling an “intifada” banner from the building. They used tables, chairs, and other objects to block entry into the building.  “A group of protesters crossed a new line with the occupation of Hamilton Hall,” Shafik said. “It was a violent act that put our students at risk, as well as putting the protesters at risk. I walked through the building and saw the damage which was distressing.” The storming came after Shafik said that the university would not be divesting from Israel.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Hours after the building was occupied, the New York Police Department stormed the building in riot gear, arresting protesters and clearing out the occupation. Shafik pinned much of the blame of the occupation on outside activists. “We believe that while the group who broke into the building includes students, it is led by individuals who are not affiliated with the University,” she said.  New York City Mayor Eric Adams agreed, saying that police found evidence that professionals had shown up and conducted trainings.  “This is a global problem that young people are being influenced by those who are professionals at radicalizing our children and I’m not going to allow that to happen as the mayor of the city of New York,” he said. 

Among the over 600 faculty members at the University of Texas at Austin who signed onto a letter stating that they have “no confidence” in the university president because he took swift action against anti-Israel protesters are radical liberal professors who blamed Israel for Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack. Led by Pauline Turner Strong, a women’s and gender studies professor who is currently studying the “role of indigenous nations and movements in climate justice activism,” the professors say that President Jay Hartzell “has shown himself to be unresponsive to urgent faculty, staff, and student concerns” “He has violated our trust,” the letter states. “The University is no longer a safe and welcoming place for the diverse community of students and scholars who until now have called this campus home.” The faculty take issue not only with Hartzell’s handling of the protests — he brought in police to forcibly disperse students that formed an encampment — but also his decision to fire dozens of diversity, equity, and inclusion staffers at the university. Hartzell “capitulated to political pressure” by dissolving the Division of Campus and Community Engagement (DCCE) last month, the letter states, resulting in the firing of “at least forty staff — predominantly women and people of color.” The letter and signature campaign is coordinated by the union, American Association of University Professors at UT Austin, which co-organized a “Stop the Purge” rally to protest the firings. “President Hartzell needlessly put students, staff and faculty in danger,” the letter states. “Dozens of students were arrested for assembling peacefully on their own campus.” The letter currently stands at 657 signatures, making up about 20% of the roughly 3,200 faculty members at the university. Only seven signatures are publicly displayed on the website with the posted letter, all of whom are AAUP chapter officers. These include professors Pauline Turner Strong, Brian L. Evans, Karma R. Chávez, Andrea C. Gore, Lauren Jae Gutterman, Steven Seegel, and Julia Mickenberg. The Daily Wire obtained a copy of the letter with all of the signatories listed, and identified several with a history of anti-Israel activism. One of the most controversial signatories is Nahid Siamdoust, an assistant professor in the Middle Eastern Studies department who put the blame on Israel in the immediate wake of Hamas committing its massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7. “This is the moment when the world powers need to step in and say enough is enough,” Siamdoust posted. “End the occupation. There won’t be peace otherwise. Let’s stop this bloodshed. Let’s solve this problem. Instead they empower Israel to retaliate indiscriminately. My [heart breaks] for all the innocent.” This is the moment when the world powers need to step in and say enough is enough. End the occupation. There won’t be peace otherwise. Let’s stop this bloodshed. Let’s solve this problem. Instead they empower Israel to retaliate indiscriminately. My 💔 for all the innocent. — Nahid Siamdoust (@nahid8) October 8, 2023 In a tweet two days later, she said she was “ashamed” by seeing exiled Iranians celebrating “Israel’s illegal siege and indiscriminate killing of Palestinians with the military & financial might of the world.” African diaspora and gender studies professor Pavithra Vasudevan, a member of the Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, frequently sports a keffiyeh and has attended anti-Israel rallies on campus. In one video, she is heard telling students that she “lost confidence” in the university for “inviting the police state to take over this campus.” “The police do not protect us, we protect us,” she added. “This is our space, this is our campus.” Associate Dean for Faculty Mentoring and Development, Peniel E. Joseph, also signed onto the letter and published an op-ed on Thursday accusing the school of assaulting democracy by firing the DEI-focused faculty members.  “What we are experiencing here in Texas is an assault on the nation’s democracy,” Joseph wrote. “As in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Florida, Gov. Greg Abbott’s efforts here amplify conservative legislators’ vision of ‘reclaiming’ the university from a so-called ‘woke mob’ apparently populated by folks who look like me.” The faculty letter demands that criminal charges be dropped “against students and others,” that students not face disciplinary action, and that the school “respect the first Amendment free speech rights of students and faculty.” The idea for the letter began as police were still arresting people on campus last Wednesday, according to the Austin American-Statesman. While the number of faculty who signed on to the letter is certainly large, there is also substantial support for Hartzell in the university community. A letter of support for Hartzell organized by Alums for Campus Fairness thanks him for his “decisive action in putting an end to the recent antisemitic encampment on campus.” Organizers say the letter in support of Hartzell already has 9,137 signatories from its community of alumni, parents of students, and donors to the university. 

Actor Mark Hamill crashed Friday’s White House press briefing — the day before Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) — and instead of taking questions about the popular Sci-Fi/Fantasy franchise, all he wanted to do was gush about President Joe Biden. Hamill, who played the role of Jedi Luke Skywalker in George Lucas’ original trilogy, joined White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the lectern and told reporters how happy he had been to meet the president’s staff. He opened with a joke, saying that when Biden had invited the actor to call him “Joe,” he’d asked whether he could call him “Joe-Bi-Wan-Kenobi.” WATCH: Mark Hamill is at the White House press briefing today making cringe Star Wars jokes. Not like there’s anything important going on in the world at the moment! pic.twitter.com/Qjryh8Wx1M — Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 3, 2024 WATCH: .@MarkHamill at the White House press briefing: “I was honored to be asked to come to the White House to meet the President, the most legislatively successful president in my lifetime. And you know, I don't have to go through the list of bipartisan infrastructure law, the PACT… pic.twitter.com/6BuWLHEJ9g — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) May 3, 2024 “I was honored to be asked to come to the White House to meet the president, the most legislatively successful president in my lifetime,” Hamill began, listing off a series of legislative actions that he counted as Biden wins. “And you know, I don’t have to go through the list of bipartisan infrastructure law, the PACT Act, the Chips Act, all of that inflation — 15 million jobs.” “Look, it’s all good,” Hamill continued, praising Biden’s staff and raving about how much work the president did day-to-day. “I mean, I was really thrilled to meet the entire staff because, you know, it’s not just one person. It’s like a composite endeavor and all these people, my goodness, you know, I mean, I have no idea — I — I had no idea. Just what went into what is on his plate on a daily basis.” “So, that’s pretty much it. I’m open to questions, although no Star Wars questions, please,” Hamill concluded. “But I want to say once again how grateful I am, and it just shows you that just one person can be so influential and so positive in our lives and, again thank you so much. And @PeterBakerNYT, I loved your book.” “Hamill was born in 1951,” Mike Cote pointed out in an X post. “Even for his personal politics, Biden isn’t remotely close to the most legislatively successful president of his lifetime. LBJ, anyone? Very sad to see a Jedi turn into a Sith before our eyes.” Hamill was born in 1951. Even for his personal politics, Biden isn't remotely close to the most legislatively successful president of his lifetime. LBJ, anyone? Very sad to see a Jedi turn into a Sith before our eyes. https://t.co/7gLEWGahxz — Mike Coté (@ratlpolicy) May 3, 2024  

An illegal immigrant from Guatemala accused of child molestation was released from prison last month by authorities in Rhode Island before federal immigration officials could take him into custody. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Friday that they had arrested a 22-year-old illegal immigrant wanted on domestic assault and first-degree child molestation on April 10. The arrest came hours after the Sixth District Court of Rhode Island had ordered him released onto the streets of Providence before ICE could take him into custody. Providence is a sanctuary city and ignored the detainer that had been placed on the illegal immigrant by ICE. “This unlawfully present individual was arrested locally on first degree child molestation charges and was released back into the community despite an immigration detainer,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston Field Office Director Todd Lyons. “We believe it is in the interest of the community that jurisdictions honor our immigration detainers so that ICE can take direct custody of individuals like this who pose a threat to residents.” “ERO Boston hopes to cooperate with our local partners in Rhode Island to help make safer neighborhoods for everyone in the state and throughout New England,” Lyons added. According to ICE, the illegal immigrant, who was not named, illegally entered the United States around Nogales, Arizona, where he was apprehended by Border Patrol in November 2018. He would have been around 16-years-old at the time and he was released into the country and given a court date. Four years later, the Providence Police Department issued a warrant for his arrest on sexual assault and child molestation charges on November 21, 2022. He was not arrested until February 28, 2024 when police nabbed him on domestic assault charges in addition to the previous charges. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP After the arrest, ICE placed an immigration detainer on him, but he was released on April 10 by a Rhode Island court. “Later that day, ERO Boston deportation officers in Rhode Island arrested him without incident in Providence. He will be held in ICE custody pending a future hearing before a Department of Justice immigration judge,” ICE said. In recent weeks, ICE has been drawing attention to the release of illegal immigrants charged with serious crimes in New England, The Daily Caller reported. Last month, a 26-year-old Honduran accused first-degree sexual assault of a minor was released by Connecticut authorities who ignored an immigration detainer placed on him by ICE.

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) warned Iowa that it will sue the state if it enforces a recently passed law that seeks to crack down on illegal immigration. The DOJ’s warning comes after Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed legislation last month that would make illegal reentry into the state an aggravated misdemeanor, empowering the state to arrest illegal immigrants. “The Biden administration has failed to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, putting the protection and safety of Iowans at risk,” Reynolds said after first signing the legislation. “Those who come into our country illegally have broken the law, yet Biden refuses to deport them.” The Biden DOJ’s Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton responded to the legislation with a letter to Governor Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird, giving the state until May 7 to suspend the enforcement of the new law before the federal government steps in. Boynton argued that Iowa’s new law “is preempted by federal law and violates the United States Constitution” and that it “effectively creates a separate state immigration scheme,” which “intrudes into a field that is occupied by the federal government and is preempted.” The state’s Attorney General Brenna Bird signaled that Iowa will not capitulate to the Biden administration’s request. “Iowa will not back down and stand by as our state’s safety hangs in the balance. If Biden refuses to stop the border invasion and keep our communities safe, Iowa will do the job for him.” Governor Reynolds asserted that the law is only necessary because of the Biden administration’s unwillingness to secure the southern border. “The only reason we had to pass this law is because the Biden administration refuses to enforce the laws already on the books,” Reynolds contended. “I have a duty to protect the citizens of Iowa. Unlike the federal government, we will respect the rule of law and enforce it.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The emerging feud between the Biden DOJ and the state of Iowa comes while Texas is embroiled in its own ongoing legal fight over a similar immigration law. The state’s Senate Bill 4, which also allows authorities to detain and charge those in the country illegally, has been the focus of legal battles with the federal government. States like Iowa, Texas, and Georgia have passed legislation aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration as the United States has witnessed an unprecedented crisis on the border, with officials recording over 9.5 million nationwide encounters and 1.7 million estimated illegal immigrant gotaways since Joe Biden took office. There were only 445,000 total reported gotaways for 2018, 2019, and 2020 under the Trump administration.

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from two foreign entities. The 68-year-old congressman was charged along with his wife, Imelda Cuellar, 67, with participating in two alleged schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence, and money laundering, the DOJ said in a statement. The Cuellars allegedly took nearly $600,000 in bribes from an oil and gas company that is wholly owned and controlled by the government of Azerbaijan and a bank that is headquartered in Mexico city. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Cuellar promised to use the power and prestige of his office to advance Azerbaijan’s and Foreign Bank-1’s interests in the United States,” the DOJ said. “The bribe payments were laundered, pursuant to sham consulting contracts, through a series of front companies and middlemen into shell companies owned by Imelda Cuellar. Cuellar performed little or no legitimate work under the sham contracts.” The indictment comes after the FBI raided Cuellar’s home and campaign office back in 2022 as part of the criminal investigation into the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen. Numerous items were seized during the raid. Prosecutors allege that in-exchange for the bribes, Cuellar, who is the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, used his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in a manner favorable to Azerbaijan. “In exchange for the bribes paid by the Mexican bank, Congressman Cuellar allegedly agreed to influence legislative activity and to advise and pressure high-ranking U.S. Executive Branch officials regarding measures beneficial to the bank,” the DOJ said. Both individuals were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery of a federal official and to have a public official act as an agent of a foreign principal; two counts of bribery of a federal official; two counts of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud; two counts of violating the ban on public officials acting as agents of a foreign principal; one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering; and five counts of money laundering. If convicted on all of the charges, both individuals face a maximum of up to 204 years in prison. This report has been updated to include additional information.