Current Members of Congress With Public Criminal Case Records
Searching for “members of Congress with criminal records” requires careful definitions. An indictment is not a conviction, an investigation is not a criminal charge, an ethics complaint is not a criminal case, and a presidential pardon does not mean a court found someone guilty. This guide focuses on current members of the 119th Congress for whom recent federal criminal case records can be verified through official congressional, Justice Department or federal-court sources.
What counts as a “criminal record” for a member of Congress?
The phrase can cover several very different types of public information. For accuracy, each category should be described separately.
Indictment or criminal complaint
Shows that prosecutors formally accused a person of an offense. It does not prove guilt.
Guilty plea or guilty verdict
A conviction is materially different from a pending indictment and should never be inferred merely because a case exists.
Dismissal, acquittal, pardon or other outcome
Public criminal-case records remain relevant even when the prosecution later ends, but the final disposition must be stated.
Current members with recent, verifiable federal criminal case records
The table below is a focused set of current House members whose recent federal criminal-case records are readily verifiable from official sources. It is not presented as a complete historical inventory of every arrest or criminal proceeding ever associated with every current member.
| Current member | Current office | Public criminal-case record | Status as of Sept. 27, 2026 | Convicted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaMonica McIver | U.S. Representative, New Jersey 10th District | Federal indictment filed in 2025 alleging three counts involving forcible impeding or interference with federal officers. | Criminal case remains active. The Third Circuit’s August 26, 2026 opinion left prosecution of Counts One and Two in place and remanded an issue involving Count Three. | No conviction identified. |
| Henry Cuellar | U.S. Representative, Texas 28th District | Federal indictment unsealed in 2024 alleging bribery, conspiracy, honest-services fraud and money-laundering offenses. | Received a full and unconditional presidential pardon on December 2, 2025, before trial. The prosecution ended without a criminal conviction. | No conviction in that federal case. |
LaMonica McIver: current federal criminal case
The U.S. House Clerk lists LaMonica McIver as the current representative for New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District.
On June 10, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced a three-count federal indictment alleging that McIver forcibly impeded and interfered with federal officers during events outside and around the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark.
The Justice Department’s announcement expressly states that an indictment is an allegation and that a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
2026 appellate ruling
McIver sought dismissal on constitutional and other grounds. On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that prosecution of Counts One and Two would not require her to answer for protected legislative acts. The court vacated and remanded part of the ruling concerning Count Three for further consideration.
Henry Cuellar: indictment, pardon and case disposition
The U.S. House Clerk lists Henry Cuellar as the current representative for Texas’s 28th Congressional District.
In May 2024, the Justice Department announced that Cuellar and his wife had been indicted in the Southern District of Texas. The indictment alleged schemes involving bribery, unlawful foreign influence and money laundering. Cuellar disputed the allegations.
Two foreign-agent counts were later dismissed in 2025. Before the remaining allegations went to trial, President Donald Trump granted Cuellar and his wife a full and unconditional pardon on December 2, 2025.
The Justice Department’s Office of the Pardon Attorney lists Cuellar’s pardon and identifies the offenses covered by it, including conspiracy, bribery, honest-services fraud and money laundering.
What this guide does not count as a criminal conviction
- an ethics complaint
- a House or Senate ethics investigation
- a civil lawsuit
- a congressional censure
- a campaign-finance inquiry without criminal charges
- a news allegation unsupported by a court filing
- a police investigation with no criminal charge
- a subpoena by itself
- a protest detention with no criminal disposition established
- a dismissed accusation described without the dismissal
Step 1: verify that the person is actually a current member of Congress
Congressional membership changes because of elections, resignations, deaths, appointments and special elections. Always verify membership before publishing a page describing someone as a “current member.”
House Clerk / House.gov
Use the official current House member directory to confirm district, party and present membership.
Senate.gov
Use the official Senate roster to confirm that a senator currently serves in the 119th Congress.
Always state when you checked
A list that was correct six months ago can become inaccurate after a vacancy or special election.
Step 2: search PACER for federal criminal cases
PACER is the federal judiciary’s official electronic court-record service. It is the correct source for federal criminal prosecutions involving a member of Congress.
Search the member’s full legal name
Use PACER Case Locator if you do not already know the federal district.
Confirm identity
Match the defendant with office, location, middle name and other reliable identifiers.
Identify the criminal case number
Save the district, docket number, indictment date and filing court.
Read the latest docket entries
Check for dismissal, plea, conviction, acquittal, pardon-related filings, appeal or another final disposition.
Step 3: check state and local court records when relevant
Not every criminal case involving a federal officeholder would necessarily be federal. A state arrest, misdemeanor or prosecution can exist in a state court system.
Search the official judiciary for the state where the event occurred. If the state uses county-level public access, identify the correct county clerk or court first.
Step 4: search Justice Department public records
DOJ press releases are particularly useful for finding indictments, guilty pleas, trial verdicts, sentencing and dismissals involving federal criminal cases.
Useful search combinations include:
- member’s full name + indictment
- member’s full name + charged
- member’s full name + conviction
- member’s full name + guilty plea
- member’s full name + sentencing
- member’s full name + dismissal
Congressional ethics records are not criminal court records
The House Committee on Ethics and Senate Select Committee on Ethics operate congressional disciplinary processes. Their investigations can involve conduct that is controversial or potentially unlawful, but an ethics matter is not automatically a criminal prosecution.
Ethics investigation
Legislative-branch review of member conduct.
Criminal prosecution
A court case brought by federal, state or local prosecutors.
Both can exist
The same underlying events can generate separate ethics and criminal proceedings, each with its own standards and outcome.
What a presidential pardon does to the criminal case record
A presidential pardon can eliminate federal criminal liability for covered offenses, but it does not erase the historical existence of the indictment, docket or pardon itself.
That is why a page about Henry Cuellar should preserve all three facts: he was indicted, he was not convicted in that prosecution, and he received a full and unconditional pardon before trial.
How to avoid false or misleading criminal-record matches
- verify current congressional membership
- use the member’s full legal name
- confirm state and congressional district
- record the federal or state court name
- record the exact case number
- distinguish indictment from conviction
- check the newest docket entry
- include acquittals, dismissals and pardons prominently
- do not treat ethics proceedings as criminal convictions
- do not copy unverified lists from social media or partisan sites
Current members of Congress criminal-record search: FAQs
Is every current member named on this page a convicted criminal?
No. The page intentionally distinguishes pending charges, indictments, pardoned cases and convictions. A person should only be described as convicted when an actual conviction is established by the court record.
Is LaMonica McIver currently a member of Congress?
Yes. The U.S. House Clerk lists her as the representative for New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District in the 119th Congress.
Has LaMonica McIver been convicted?
No conviction is identified in the current federal case. She was indicted in 2025, and the criminal litigation remained active as of September 27, 2026.
Is Henry Cuellar currently a member of Congress?
Yes. The U.S. House Clerk lists him as the representative for Texas’s 28th Congressional District.
Was Henry Cuellar convicted in his federal bribery case?
No. He was indicted, but President Donald Trump granted him a full and unconditional pardon in December 2025 before the case went to trial.
Where can I search federal criminal cases involving members of Congress?
Use PACER, the federal judiciary’s official electronic court-record service. PACER Case Locator is useful when you do not know which federal district handled the case.
Can I search Congress.gov for criminal records?
Congress.gov is primarily a legislative information system. For criminal case records, use federal or state court systems and official prosecution records.
Does an ethics investigation mean a member committed a crime?
No. Congressional ethics proceedings and criminal prosecutions are separate processes. An ethics inquiry should not be described as a criminal conviction.
Does a pardon erase the public court record?
No. The historical indictment, docket and clemency record can remain publicly accessible even though the pardon changes the legal consequences of the covered federal offenses.
Is this an exhaustive historical list of every current member ever arrested?
No. This guide focuses on recent, readily verifiable criminal court records involving people who are current members of Congress as of the verification date.
Official sources for researching members of Congress
- U.S. House of Representatives — Current Representatives
- Office of the Clerk — Current House Members
- U.S. Senate — Current Senators
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search
- U.S. Department of Justice
- DOJ — United States v. LaMonica McIver charging announcement
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit — United States v. McIver
- DOJ — United States v. Henry Cuellar charging announcement
- DOJ Office of the Pardon Attorney — Clemency Grants