Day: November 5, 2025

AZERBAIJANI BRIBES ($600K+ to  @RepCuellar ) may determine control of the US House – Google Search  google.com/search?q=AZERBAIJ…
The claim that bribes from Azerbaijan may determine control of the US House is misleading. While U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar was indicted on bribery charges related to a scheme allegedly involving a bribery scheme involving an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank, his potential conviction or resignation is not currently poised to determine the control of the House. This is because Cuellar’s district is currently held by a safe margin and it’s unlikely a special election would change the balance of power in the House.

Indictment details: Cuellar and his wife were indicted in May 2024 on charges including bribery, money laundering, and acting as an agent for a foreign principal.
Allegations: Prosecutors allege that Cuellar and his wife received approximately  in bribes from an Azerbaijani oil company and a Mexican bank, which were disguised as payments for “sham consulting contracts”. In exchange, Cuellar allegedly used his office to influence U.S. foreign policy in favor of Azerbaijan and the Mexican bank.
Cuellar’s defense: Cuellar denies any wrongdoing and plans to continue his re-election bid. He maintains that his actions in Congress were consistent with those of his colleagues and were in the public interest.
Impact on House control: The outcome of Cuellar’s trial could affect his political future, but it’s not expected to change the balance of power in the House.

District safety: His Texas district is considered safe for the Democratic party, and the margin of victory in the last election was significant.
Special election: Even if he were to resign or be removed from office, it is unlikely a special election would have a significant impact on the control of the House. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/…
[2]  youtube.com/watch?v=pDmMEyWG…
[3]  aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/3/…
[4]  theguardian.com/us-news/arti…
[5]  texastribune.org/2024/05/09/…
[6]  texastribune.org/2024/05/03/…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Nov 5, 2025

When Russian soldiers spilled into Ukraine in February 2022, reports soon followed of rampant looting in captured towns. Homes, museums, theaters — even schools — were stripped of everything from food and clothing to computers and washing machines. The stories of theft and destruction revealed the brutality of Moscow’s invasion. Today, a growing body of evidence shows that the Russian military has also inflicted some of this cruelty on its own people. On November 5, 2025, after a region-wide manhunt, soldiers in Belgorod captured one of their own, Alexey Kostrikin, who murdered a local homeowner and raped his wife in late October before killing again on November 3.