GOP Lawyers Panic Over Documents In North Carolina Gerrymandering Suit

By Susie Madrak — May 30, 2019

So a Republican map-making guru who designed the North Carolina GOP gerrymandering strategy dies, and the lawyers in a gerrymandering lawsuit were notified that Common Cause, the good government group, and the North Carolina Democratic party subpoenaed the estranged daughter of the guy for computer records.

Here's where it gets good.

So Stephanie Hofeller turns over four hard drives and 18 thumb drives of files -- after her father’s estate said it had no information about the case. The Republican lawyers start whining: 'Your honor, we don't know how she got these files!' (You know, as Republicans do.)

The judge allowed all the files but said they must be shared with both sides. (Which the Democrats were going to do anyway, because Democrats follow rules.)

Now, the basis of any gerrymandering suit is whether there was intention to stack the deck against minorities. Guess what we find out?

Discovered in the hard drives of the racist architect of the #Trump administration's Census citizenship question: A plan to further minority rule by white-dominated GOP by undercounting people of color https://t.co/uqEdtFSVSr pic.twitter.com/oPrF0cQApz

— David Beard (@dabeard) May 30, 2019

Yep! Turns out dead old Tom Hofeller is the guy behind the oh-so-innocent federal census question that asks whether you're legally in the country -- the same SDNY case that's about to be heard by the Supreme Court! The one where Wilbur Ross refused to testify! Kinda points to INTENT of discrimination, amirite? Especially since the Trump administration claimed the question was added to protect minority rights.

So the documents submitted in the North Carolina case go to the question of discriminatory intent.

NEW: In the SDNY #2020Census case, plaintiffs claim that new evidence shows that longtime GOP redistricting specialist Thomas Hofeller wanted to add the citizenship question to create a structural electoral advantage for “Repubicans and Non-Hispanic Whites.” @CourthouseNews pic.twitter.com/j0kspj1sfh

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 30, 2019

"The disclosures represent the most explicit evidence to date that the Trump administration added the [citizenship] question to the 2020 census to advance Republican Party interests." https://t.co/ZpEFDrUgwS

— Trip Gabriel (@tripgabriel) May 30, 2019

Remember:

USD Judge Furman found the citizenship question illegal but he declined to call it unconstitutional because the refusal to put Wilbur Ross on the stand limited plaintiffs’ ability to prove discriminatory intent.

So this would be no small omission.

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 30, 2019

The new evidence, they claim, shows that two witnesses perjured themselves: Ross’ adviser Mark Neuman and senior DOJ official John Gore.

Both concealed Hofeller’s role in creating the citizenship question and Voting Rights Act pretext, they say in this letter. pic.twitter.com/lUAhk7i6FH

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 30, 2019

In fact, plaintiffs claim that Hofeller “ghostwrote a substantial part of the Newman DOJ Letter setting forth the VRA rationale.” pic.twitter.com/tvHgxLt7uh

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 30, 2019

Here are a few examples charting testimony that plaintiffs claim the new evidence proves false.

From 126 page of exhibits, including depositions, charts and Hofeller's doc (the new evidence): https://t.co/8qMUtmrwMC pic.twitter.com/d7IZTvgGGb

— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) May 30, 2019

There was already OVERWHELMING evidence that Sec’y Ross lied about the need for a citizenship question on the #2020Census. But this shows that Thomas Hofeller’s “study” was all over DOJ’s fake letter claiming they need this for VRA enforcement. pic.twitter.com/HeShyobTfi

— Kristen Clarke (@KristenClarkeJD) May 30, 2019

Will this be enough to persuade the SCOTUS wingnuts to strike down the census question? Your guess is as good as mine. After all, these are not normal times.