Tag: texas

Indicted Democrat Rep’s Siblings Also Implicated in Corruption

The Cuellar political machine in South Texas is collapsing under the weight of its own corruption. 

Congressman Henry Cuellar was indicted in May 2024 for accepting over $600,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank and Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil company. 

But the problem extends far beyond the congressman.

According to reporting from NOTUS and statements from local officials, Henry Cuellar’s siblings—Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar and former municipal judge Rosie Cuellar—benefited from improper appointments, financial favoritism, and misuse of government staff. 

Neither has been charged.

In 2023, the FBI raided the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Cuellar told the press he was not the subject of the investigation. However, multiple officials confirmed that sheriff’s office employees were ordered to perform political work for the Cuellar family during official business hours. 

That included campaign fundraising, voter outreach, and logistical support for Cuellar’s re-election efforts.

Public records show staff were reassigned from law enforcement roles to campaign duties, including organizing events. 

Some employees were instructed to attend campaign functions while still on the county payroll. The sheriff ignored requests for comment.

The corruption extended to Rosie Cuellar, who in 2022 was appointed to a municipal judgeship in a border town that has no active courthouse. 

She never heard a case. 

The salary she received for the position has not been disclosed. 

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Texas Senate Passes Redistricting Map Favoring Republicans

The Texas Senate on Aug. 23 passed a bill that will redraw Texas’s congressional maps and increase Republicans’ hold on the state’s U.S. House delegation by as many as five seats.

Its passage in the early hours of Saturday morning came after a daylong session.

After passing the Republican-dominated upper chamber in an 18 to 11 party-line vote, the bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law.

In line with a request from President Donald Trump and the Department of Justice, the bill would redraw the state’s congressional boundaries to favor Republicans.

Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 21 signed a legislative package to authorize a Nov. 4 referendum to redraw California’s congressional maps in favor of Democrats. The changes are expected to be approved in the Democratic stronghold.

The map could increase Democrats’ hold on California’s U.S. House delegation by as many as five seats, endangering several previously safe Republicans.

On Thursday evening, the state Senate’s Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting met to discuss the bill, voting 5–3 in favor of reporting the bill to the Senate with a favorable recommendation.

The Texas House of Representatives passed the legislation on Aug. 20, after the more than 50 Democrats who had left the state earlier returned after it became clear that California would approve a legislative response to Texas’s passage of the bill.

Those Democrats returned to the state after a two-week standoff, during which the state Legislature was unable to achieve a quorum and was therefore gridlocked.

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Democrat Rep. Al Green Is Fired. His Response Was to Call It Racist.

Representative Al Green, who has served Texas’s 9th Congressional District since 2005, will finally leave office. 

The Texas Legislature, led by Republicans, passed a legal redrawing of congressional maps that effectively eliminates District 9. Green, best known not for legislation but for shouting down President Trump during his address to Congress in March 2025, will be removed from office after nearly two decades of loud, ineffective, and divisive politics.

Unsurprisingly, Rep. Al Green called the redistricting racist. But the only racial injustice here is the Democrat Party’s decades-long abuse of district lines to cling to power.

In his angry press release, Green declared that the elimination of his district—along with TX-18, TX-29, and TX-33—was part of a “racist, unconstitutional scheme” led by President Trump’s Justice Department and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

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Hypocrite Obama scorns gerrymandering — unless it benefits HIM

Former President Barack Obama this week inserted himself into the national debate over partisan gerrymandering with his proprietary blend of self-righteousness, self-interest and duplicity.

With Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pushing through a new congressional map to benefit Republicans and California Gov. Gavin Newsom seeking to do the same for Democrats, Obama lent a weary world his wisdom.

“Over the long term, we shouldn’t have political gerrymandering in America, just a fair fight between Republicans and Democrats based on who’s got better ideas,” he began in a Wednesday post on X.

“But,” he stipulated.

But of course.

“Since Texas is taking direction from a partisan White House and gerrymandering in the middle of a decade to try and maintain the House despite their unpopular policies, I have tremendous respect for how Gov. [Gavin] Newsom has approached this,” insisted Obama.

“He’s put forward a smart, measured approach in California, designed to address a very particular problem at a very particular moment in time.”

Who didn’t see that one coming?

Obama’s high opinion of himself has only ever been matched by his scorn for the masses.

He hopes no one will notice his blatant projection: Obama himself personally participated, to put it lightly, in a highly beneficial gerrymander over 20 years ago.

Without a doubt, the former president’s initial suggestion has merit. 

It would be wonderful if House districts were drawn so as to be maximally representative of discrete communities, and to keep representatives maximally attuned to their constituents’ interests.

Perhaps one day the two parties will come together to ensure as much.

Alas, that’s not the world we live in today.

As it stands, both sides are locked in an unforgiving battle to enshrine the most structurally advantageous maps into law in as many states as possible.

In Illinois, where Texas Democrats initially fled to deny Abbott the quorum needed to pass his new map, Democrats represent 14 of 17 districts, or more than 82% of the state.

Yet Kamala Harris won Illinois last year by fewer than 11 percentage points, 54.4% to 43.5%.

Democrats achieved this feat by creating a map so preposterous that even Stephen Colbert felt compelled to ask Prairie State Gov. JB Pritzker about it during an otherwise softball interview.

In New Jersey, where President Donald Trump won 46% of the vote in 2024, the GOP holds just 25% of the congressional seats.

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Another Mexican Politician Facing U.S. Federal Fraud Charges

A Mexican politician is out on bond as he faces federal fraud charges in Texas for allegations that he used COVID-era loans to buy cryptocurrency. The politician, his wife, and various other South Texas business owners are accused of obtaining fraudulent loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were intended to support failing businesses, but were instead used for personal gain.

Court records revealed that 46-year-old Bernando Gomez Jr. and his wife, 42-year-old Lesley Chavez, allegedly took out nearly $200,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic and then used them for personal expenses, including buying cryptocurrency. Gomez, who lives in Edinburg, Texas, is a sitting city councilman in the Mexican City of Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, where he serves as a close advisor to local Mayor Miguel Angel Almaraz.

Court documents indicate that Gomez and Chavez own several entertainment and service businesses, including a wedding planning service, a rental company, and a print shop.

Federal prosecutors allege that in June 2020 and May 2020, they obtained a series of government loans through the Small Business Administration aimed at helping businesses survive the COVID-19 Pandemic. The government then forgave those loans after the business owners allegedly filed documents claiming that the money had been used for legitimate purposes such as paying employees and other similar expenses. After receiving those three loans, totaling $150,000, $40,800, and $20,800, they transferred the funds to different accounts, which they then used for personal expenses and, in the case of Gomez, to purchase cryptocurrency.

After their arrests, both Gomez and Chavez went before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker, who set their bonds at $100,000. Both have been released as they await trial.

Gomez is currently a member of Mexico’s National Action Party (PAN), one of the major opposition parties in Mexico that has been at odds with the current ruling party, MORENA.

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“We’re Gonna Punch These Sons of B*tches in the Mouth” – Newsom Threatens MAGA, Lashes Out at Texas Republicans For Passing New Congressional Map

California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) lashed out at Texas Republicans for passing a new Congressional map that gives the GOP five more US House seats.

Last week, the Texas House failed to achieve quorum for the sixth time since early August, stalling the GOP’s redistricting plan. Only 95 lawmakers showed up for the 10 a.m. session, once again falling short of the 100 needed to reach a quorum.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened the derelict Democrats with arrest and removal from office if they didn’t return to the Capitol.

After two weeks on the run, Texas Democrats finally returned to the Capitol this week.

On Wednesday, the Texas House of Representatives approved a redistricting plan that hands five additional U.S. House seats to Republicans, cementing the GOP’s dominance in the state delegation from 25 to a potential 30 out of 38 seats.

The Texas House of Representatives passed the congressional redistricting bill by an 88–52 partisan vote.

Newsom went off on Texas Republicans during an appearance on The Siren podcast on Wednesday and threatened to punch back with his own redistricting map.

“This is radical rigging of a midterm election,” Newsom told The Siren podcast on Wednesday. “Radical rigging of an election. Destroying, vandalizing this democracy, the rule of law. So, I’m sorry. I know some people’s sensibilities. I respect and appreciate that. But right now, with all due respect, we’re walking down a damn different path. We’re fighting fire with fire. And we’re gonna punch these sons of bitches in the mouth.”

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Texas Democrat Candidate Flips Out During Hearing, Winds Up Getting Arrested

Remember when politicians could disagree without acting like toddlers? Yeah, me neither. But what’s happening in our country right now makes even the worst political tantrums of the past look dignified. We’re watching the complete breakdown of basic civility. And I’m not talking about heated debates or passionate speeches. I’m talking about grown adults throwing the rules out the window whenever they don’t get their way.

Here’s what really gets me: These same people scream about “saving democracy” while they’re actively destroying it. They show up to official government meetings and act like it’s their personal stage. They demand to be heard but refuse to listen. And when someone finally says “enough is enough,” they play the victim card faster than you can say “double standard.”

At a Texas redistricting hearing Thursday night, Democratic congressional candidate Isaiah Martin gave us a perfect example of this madness. Martin, who’s running for Houston’s 18th Congressional District, didn’t just break the rules—he basically set them on fire. When his speaking time was up, he refused to stop talking. When officials asked him to yield, he got louder. And when security tried to remove him? Well, that’s when things got really crazy.

From ‘BizPac Review’:

A congressional candidate is the subject of a wild arrest video out of Texas, after being forcibly removed from a hearing.

Isaiah Martin’s attempt to filibuster the redistricting hearing ended in cuffs as he was dragged away from the microphone by a capitol security official…

“America will rise up against you!” he screamed.

This comes after President Donald Trump encouraged states to redistrict in a way that would add more Republicans to Congress, especially in red states that have received a large influx of voters moving away from blue states like New York and California.

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Texas Dem Has ‘Oh Sh*t’ Moment After ‘Felony’ Bathroom Call

A Texas Democratic lawmaker who fled the state earlier this month abruptly hung up on a call with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin and other top party leaders on Wednesday, after she says she was warned that she was committing a felony.

“Sorry, I have to leave,” state Rep. Nicole Collier (D) said during the call – interrupting Martin. “They said it’s a felony for me to do this. Apparently I can’t be on the floor or in a bathroom.”

“You told me I was only allowed to be here in the bathroom,” she told someone off camera. “No, hold on — bye everybody, I’ve got to go.”

Collier snuck off to the Texas Capitol’s bathroom to participate in the call as the state House moved forward with a vote on a GOP-friendly House map (that the Dems fled the state to try and block, only to return after their their paychecks were changed to in-person pickup). 

Democrats who wanted to leave and come back to the Capitol in between House meetings could only do so after “agreeing to be released into the custody of a designated DPS officer appointment under the rules of the House,” according to Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R). They also have to sign a form saying they will come back to the state Legislature.

Collier declined to agree to the terms and instead has slept inside the state House in protest. –The Hill

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called the incident “outrageous,” adding “Rep. Collier in the bathroom has more dignity than Donald Trump in the Oval Office.”

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For Uvalde families, long-awaited records release leads to more questions

Public records related to the Robb Elementary School massacre that occurred on May 24, 2022, were released last week by Uvalde County and the school district, revealing details about the events of that day, and the actions and communication between officials and local leaders.

After yearslong contention between officials and the media outlets that sued them for the records three years ago, they were finally released.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is fighting a separate lawsuit for the release of that agency’s records.

Uvalde officials have been under sustained scrutiny for the widely reported delayed response that occurred that day when 19 children and two teachers were killed by a gunman.

Video from officers’ body camera footage and thousands of documents were released. They included angry emails sent to the sheriff about his inaction.

There are also accounts from teachers—some of whom were injured—who survived and said that school leaders did not check in on them after the traumatic events.

The documents indicated that the 18-year-old shooter had behavioral issues. There were also reports from sheriff’s deputies that his mother had reported being afraid of her son.

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Texas Senate Again Votes To Ban THC Hemp Products Despite Governor’s Push For Regulations

As the second special session of the Texas legislature commences, the state Senate has again approved a bill to that would ban hemp THC products.

Despite Gov. Greg Abbott (R) renewing his call for a regulatory model for intoxicating cannabinoids and an age limit of 21 to purchase such products, the Senate on Tuesday passed legislation from Sen. Charles Perry (R) to recriminalize the market in a 22-8 vote on third reading consideration. A day earlier the body had given initial approval to the measure on second reading.

This comes days after the Senate State Affairs Committee unanimously approved the proposal, which followed the full Senate’s passage of an identical bill in the first regular session this year.

“Nothing’s changed, other than the fact that more and more information comes out every week regarding the impact and effects of THC on the brain the body and long term use, and the impacts of that,” Perry said ahead of the initial vote on Monday. “This stuff is not good and it’s harmful for those that use it, specifically on a long-term basis.”

Before Tuesday’s final vote, Perry claimed that “every state that has legalized recreational pot may have less people in prison, but they have more people laying on the street—and definitely, from a business community, less people working because of lost productivity.”

“With that, I hope that the ban goes through…and sends a strong message: We don’t need to be another California, Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico, New York City,” he said.

Democratic House lawmakers staged a walkout during the first special session Abbott convened—denying the chamber a quorum in protest of a proposed redistricting plan for the state’s congressional map. Now as those members have ended their protest and head back to the legislature, hemp legislation is advancing again.

The bill approved by the Senate would continue to outright ban cannabis products with “any amount” of cannabinoids other the CBD and CBG. Even mere possession of a prohibited cannabis item would be punishable as a Class B misdemeanor, carrying up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.

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