Justice Department lawyers concluded that the landmark Texas congressional redistricting plan spearheaded by Rep. Tom DeLay (R) violated the Voting Rights Act, according to a previously undisclosed memo obtained by The Washington Post. But senior officials overruled them and approved the plan.
The memo also found that Republican lawmakers and state officials who helped craft the proposal were aware it posed a high risk of being ruled discriminatory compared with other options.
The 73-page memo, dated Dec. 12, 2003, has been kept under tight wraps for two years (mine). Lawyers who worked on the case were subjected to an unusual gag rule. The memo was provided to The Post by a person connected to the case who is critical of the adopted redistricting map. Such recommendation memos, while not binding, historically carry great weight within the Justice Department.
In their analysis, the Justice Department lawyers emphasized that the last-minute changes -- made in a legislative conference committee, out of public view -- fundamentally altered legally acceptable redistricting proposals approved separately by the Texas House and Senate.
More info at Lone Star Project with a link to the full memo.
Hopefully, we'll be runnin' my twelve-rope gallows 24/7 until it crumbles to dust. There may not be any Republican politician or appointee anywhere who is not totally immersed in undermining and subverting Democracy, let alone breaking the law.
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