Democrat Henry Cuellar’s former staffer turned GOP opponent in Texas race seeks to have assault record wiped clean
- Jose Sanz, Cuellar’s former staffer who is now running against him, was arrested for assault where he was accused of throwing a chair at his 21-year-old sister
- The now-30-year-old was arrested and charged with assault of a family member before being released on $1,000 bail
- A hearing is set for Friday to determine whether the incident will be expunged from his record
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The Republican seeking to oust pro-life Democrat Henry Cuellar is trying to wipe away a record on his violent past.
Jose Sanz, Cuellar’s former staffer who is now running against him in the South Texas district, was arrested on April 12, 2021 for assault in an incident where he was accused of throwing a chair at his 21-year-old sister. His mother was also involved in the incident, according to records seen by DailyMail.com.
The now-30-year-old was arrested and charged with assault of a family member before being released on $1,000 bail. On April 14, a protective order was granted where Sanz was not permitted within 200 feet of the residence.
On April 19, the sister filed an affidavit not to prosecute Sanz, claiming the chair he threw at her did not hit her but went over her head. She also said she ‘did not want nor need a protection order.’
Jose Sanz, Cuellar’s former staffer who is now running against him in the South Texas district, was arrested on April 12, 2021 for assault in an incident where he was accused of throwing a chair at his 21-year-old sister. His mugshot is seen above
The sister claimed the chair did not hit her and went over her head, and said there had been a miscommunication with police at the time of the arrest.
‘After talking to my mom and sister did I realize that in essence the chair never did hit me, things happened so fast through all the excitement. Perhaps the police officer did not understand what I said through all the excitement.’
In December 2021 the case was dismissed after Sanz completed 36 batterer intervention classes and 12 hours of community service.
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A hearing is now scheduled for Friday to debate whether the incident should be wiped from Sanz, according to Harris County District Court records. Sanz filed for expungement on August 15 – exactly one month before announcing his candidacy.
Sanz has begun working for Cuellar in August 2021, months after the incident. He served as the Laredo Democrat’s press secretary and district director.
‘The experience was unparalleled,’ Sanz said of his work with Cuellar at the time he announced he’d try to unseat his former boss.
‘However, over time it became clear that my values and beliefs did not align with those of the office. I had to make a change so I could fight for what matters to me most … my conservative ideals and the ability to represent the family values of the people of District 28 in Washington, D.C.’
The 30-year-old was arrested and charged with assault of a family member before being released on $1,000 bail
Prior to getting involved in politics Sanz was an ESPN-Mexico sports analyst. He was born in Mexico before emigrating to the U.S. and growing up in Houston’s suburbs.
Sanz and Cuellar will face off in a hotly contested race in 2024. Republicans aggressively targeted Cuellar, in the 2022 cycle but he held onto his seat in the purple district.
In 2020 and 2022 he faced a competitive primary challenge from a former intern, progressive Democrat Jessica Cisneros.
Cuellar is one of the last pro-life Democrats in Congress and has been critical of President Biden’s border policies.
In January 2022 ahead of his last primary the FBI raided Cuellar’s home and office in Laredo, hauling out a computer and bags filled with other personal items. No charges or arrests have been filed in the case.
