Monthly Archives: March 2018

Maltz Rejoinder: Partisan Gerrymandering and Original Meaning: One More Time

March 27, 2018, 8:08 amUncategorizedRick Hasen

The following is the latest from Earl Maltz in his debate with Ned Foley. I’ve informed them both that they’ll have to take future rounds to another blog….. Earl Maltz: I have a couple of brief comments on Professor… Continue reading

Texas: “We need to protect against vote tampering”

March 27, 2018, 7:51 amelection administration, The Voting WarsRick Hasen

Dan Wallach oped in the Star-Telegram: Election winners are always happy to take the win, but the losers — and often the voters — require evidence, and that evidence needs strong backing. Modern voting systems must engender confidence that the… Continue reading

“Trump lawyer seeks to defend Texas political maps at Supreme Court”

March 26, 2018, 8:34 pmDepartment of Justice, Voting Rights ActRick Hasen

Austin American-Statesman: President Donald Trump’s top appellate lawyer has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow him to argue in defense of Texas political maps that were found to be discriminatory by a lower court. Solicitor General Noel Francisco… Continue reading

More on the Operation of a First Amendment Theory of Gerrymandering

March 26, 2018, 8:23 pmUncategorizedKunal Dixit and Nicholas Stephanopoulos

Rick (Pildes) has a nice post thinking through whether a First Amendment theory of partisan gerrymandering renders the practice more like racial gerrymandering or racial vote dilution. I just want to add a few thoughts to Rick’s discussion: 1. There’s… Continue reading

“Census to add controversial question on citizenship status”

March 26, 2018, 7:47 pmVoting Rights ActRick Hasen

Politico: The 2020 U.S. Census will include a controversial question about citizenship status, the Commerce Department announced Monday night, a move that is set to spark outrage from Congressional Democrats, civil rights groups and liberal state attorneys general. Critics have… Continue reading

The Supreme Court Case That Could Transform Politics: The late Antonin Scalia believed the court was powerless to do anything about gerrymandering. Will today’s justices agree?

March 26, 2018, 2:56 pmredistricting, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

I have written this piece for Politico Magazine. It begins: On Wednesday, the Supreme Court hears arguments in Benisek v. Lamone, a case about whether Maryland violated the First Amendment rights of Republican voters by redrawing the state’s congressional districts… Continue reading

Matthew Masterson, Blocked for EAC Reappointment by Speaker Paul Ryan, Will Continue to Work on Cybersecurity Voting Issues at DHS

March 26, 2018, 2:38 pmelection administration, Election Assistance CommissionRick Hasen

Smart move by DHS to hire @mastersonmv to work with election officials on cyber security as his term on Election Assistance Commission ends. Sign of how seriously some in administration take this issue. https://t.co/evFkreAqxG — Pam Fessler (@pamelafessler) March 26, … Continue reading

“DOJ & FEC Complaints Filed Against Cambridge Analytica for Violating Prohibition on Election-Related Activities by Foreign Nationals in Work for Trump, Others”

March 26, 2018, 8:10 amcampaign finance, conflict of interest lawsRick Hasen

Common Cause release.

“Former Cambridge Analytica workers say firm sent foreigners to advise U.S. campaigns”

March 26, 2018, 7:36 amcampaign finance, chicaneryRick Hasen

WaPo: Cambridge Analytica assigned dozens of non-U.S. citizens to provide campaign strategy and messaging advice to Republican candidates in 2014, according to three former workers for the data firm, even as an attorney warned executives to abide by U.S. laws… Continue reading

Watch C-SPAN Video of Adam Liptak, Sue Bloch, and Me Discussing Justice Scalia’s Legacy and My New Book

March 26, 2018, 7:33 amScalia, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

You can watch at this link. This is from an event at Georgetown Law (sponsored by ACS) held on March 6, 2018, about my new book, The Justice of Contradictions: Antonin Scalia and the Politics of Disruption. … Continue reading

“Facing unfriendly new map, Pennsylvania GOP congressman won’t seek reelection”

March 26, 2018, 7:28 amredistrictingRick Hasen

WaPo: Costello had been considering the decision since February, when the Pennsylvania Supreme Court drew a new map to replace a gerrymander that Republicans put into place seven years ago. The 6th District, which had cut through three suburban counties… Continue reading

“Fund-Raiser Held Out Access to Trump as a Prize for Prospective Clients”

March 26, 2018, 7:25 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NYT: For Elliott Broidy, Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign represented an unparalleled political and business opportunity. An investor and defense contractor, Mr. Broidy became a top fund-raiser for Mr. Trump’s campaign when most elite Republican donors were keeping their distance,… Continue reading

“ACLU: No ‘lawyer trick’ needed to spurn Kobach claims of voter fraud”

March 26, 2018, 7:22 amfraudulent fraud squadRick Hasen

Sherman Smith in the Topeka Capital-Journal: Dale Ho’s mic drop flourish with a key witness for Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach made for one of the most memorable moments in a trial over the state’s voter registration law. But… Continue reading

“America’s Warped Elections”

March 26, 2018, 7:19 amredistrictingRick Hasen

Michael Li and Laura Royden NYT oped: We conducted an analysis to measure how hard it would be for Democrats in each state to win additional seats under these gerrymandered maps. The results are sobering. In 2006, a roughly five-and-a-half-point… Continue reading