Emails show GOP consultants' 'almost paranoid' mission to circumvent Fla.'s gerrymandering ban

[teach1st]

Last edited Mon Nov 24, 2014, 12:27 AM - Edit history (3)

Source: Tampa Bay Times

Story has morphed - The link has been updated.

TALLAHASSEE — Republican consultants worked side-by-side with Republican lawmakers in guiding them on drawing new Florida congressional districts that intentionally favored incumbents in violation of the Fair District amendments to the state Constitution, according to documents and emails contained in a long-running redistricting lawsuit.

The Scripps-Tribune Capital Bureau first obtained the lengthy documents, posting all 538 pages on its blog, Political Fix Florida, on Sunday. The Times/Herald obtained the same documents.

The 538 pages of documents and emails were to be released to the public on Dec. 1 following U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' decision Friday rejecting an emergency request to keep the information out of the public eye.

GOP consultant Pat Bainter and his Gainesville-based firm Data Targeting had argued in the petition to the high court that releasing the documents publicly was a violation of his First Amendment rights.

Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/new-documents-emails-show-gop-consultants-steered-republican-lawmakers-in/2207621

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[link:http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/new-documents-emails-show-gop-consultants-steered-republican-lawmakers-in/2207621|

[csziggy]

1. These GOP jerks need to remember what state they are in

Florida has a very strong Sunshine Law that REQUIRES that all public business be PUBLIC.

"GOP consultant Pat Bainter and his Gainesville-based firm Data Targeting had argued in the petition to the high court that releasing the documents publicly was a violation of his First Amendment rights." No - the First Amendment does NOT give you the right to keep your input to my OPEN government private.

Every change that was made to the districts over the entire state should be thrown out and a committee of CITIZENS should re-draw every district in the state.

[louis-t]

2. Gee, GOP screams they want transparency, except when it's they

that have to be transparent. IOKIYAR.

[rock]

5. It's as though they have no clue about 1st amendment

"I can say anything I want as long as nobody hears it!" Silly, is the kindest I can be.

[tooeyeten]

8. They don't need no stinking' Sunshine!

They be the GOP, look who was just re-elected.

[csziggy]

11. A major reason they were re-elected is this gerrymandering

Although the judge found that they needed to re-align some districts, I think he had to let them stand for this election to allow for appeals and for time for the election officials to make arrangements.

That's why I think ALL districts should be re-drawn. The Republicans have been in charge of this state for far too long and have been arranging the districts for their benefit - and NOT for the voters' benefit.

I wish some outside source could do it - the Justice Department, maybe. But I know that won't happen.

[nikto]

20. THE major reason they were re-elected is this gerrymandering

ftfy

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Same thing happerned in most Rethug

controlled state Legislatures in 2010. This in my opinion was the greatest default of our Justice System not questioning these states as per voting rights laws and rulings. This was more severe than Citizens United.

[Cosmocat]

21. We had this shit LONG before 2010 in Pennsylvania

the district lines for both congressional districts and state level house and senate districts are just abhorrent.

And, yes, FAR more than anything else these jackasses do, gerrymandering is by far the worse.

[UTUSN]

4. Same thing as the "Elves" during the FAKE impeachment. & with voter "ID/Suppression" where

the same consultants from one state where they got away with it go to other states to boilerplate those bills.

Speaking of states, aren't Rethugs supposed to be big on States Rights and be against "Federalism," yet they seem to be cherrypicking their beliefs since they practice multi-state cookie-cutting for what they want for themselves.

[valerief]

6. Uh-oh. These means a few sternly worded letters. Or not. nt

[Fred Sanders]

7. Intentional party favouritism in redistricting is a direct violation of state law and a felony.

The courts have always deferred to partisan redistricting on the basis of lack of proof of the results being intentionally done to favor one party..but this is the proof....the entire election ought to be voided.

[groundloop]

9. Releasing information a violation of 1st Amendment rights - that's rich

I wonder if those bastards have ever even read the 1st Amendment. I'm pretty sure it says nothing about the right to hide from illegal activities.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

10. No surprise. I don't believe GOP office holders have the brains to do this stuff.

[secondvariety]

12. Will this change

the make up of gerrymandered districts? Absolutely not. Do the people of Florida care enough to demand action? Absolutely not.

[cprise]

13. Changed link -

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/new-documents-show-gop-consultants-steered-republican-lawmakers-in/2207622

Its been shuffled off to their "blog" section.

[teach1st]

14. Thanks. I updated the OP

Why the fuck would they move the story to the blogs? This is an important story.

[cprise]

15. Different story now under 'news/politics' -

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/new-documents-emails-show-gop-consultants-steered-republican-lawmakers-in/2207621

The Republican consultants had to be hush-hush — "almost paranoid" in the words of one — because of their high-stakes mission: Get go-betweens to help circumvent a Florida Constitutional ban on gerrymandering.

The plot was spelled out in a newly released batch of once-secret emails that show how the consultants surreptitiously drew congressional and state legislative maps. They then recruited seemingly independent citizens to submit them in an effort to strengthen the hand of Florida Republicans when the GOP-led Legislature redrew lawmaker districts in 2011.

The year before, Florida voters overwhelmingly amended the state's constitution to prohibit legislators from drawing legislative and congressional districts that favor or disfavor incumbents or political parties. Citing the new amendments, a coalition of voting-rights and liberal groups called the Fair Districts Coalition sued the Legislature over its maps.

more

[teach1st]

16. Got it

Thanks again!

[blkmusclmachine]

17. ,

,

[bemildred]

18. They went all out to prevent redistricting reform here in California too.

But it's too late now.

[nikto]

19. Anything is allowed now, as long as...

It benefits elites, corporations and bank$.



Game over?