“Lawsuit targets Wisconsin legislative districts resembling Swiss cheese”

August 14, 2023, 4:27 pmUncategorizedredistrictingNed Foley

AP reports. “Wisconsin’s nationally peculiar practice of detached districts is cited as one of several alleged violations in a recent lawsuit seeking to strike down current Assembly and Senate districts and replace them before the 2024 election. … “Wisconsin’s… Continue reading

“Former Republican legal officials endorse special counsel’s speedy trial date proposal in Trump Jan. 6 case”

August 14, 2023, 1:44 pmUncategorizedJanuary 6, The Big LieNed Foley

CNN reports on amicus brief filed by eleven prominent former Republican judges and government officials, including Judge Michael Luttig and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

“New Ohio redistricting ballot proposal would end lawmakers’ map-drawing power”

August 14, 2023, 12:29 pmUncategorizedredistrictingNed Foley

Cleveland.com reports on the effort to adopt in Ohio a citizens redistricting commission (like the kind in Arizona, California, or Michigan), rather than the failed political-insiders commission that Ohio adopted in the previous effort at redistricting reform in the state.

“Does Ranked Choice Voting Promote Legislative Bipartisanship? Using Maine as a Policy Laboratory”

August 14, 2023, 12:21 pmUncategorizedpolarization, ranked choice votingNed Foley

Rachel Hutchinson of FairVote and Ben Reilly of the East-West Center have posted this new paper on SSRN. Here’s the abstract: Political polarization in the United States has increased dramatically, hampering the functioning of American government. Some scholars attribute… Continue reading

“Georgia court website briefly publishes, removes document about potential Trump charges”

August 14, 2023, 10:54 amUncategorizedJanuary 6, The Big LieNed Foley

Reuters. A premature preview of what’s to come? Reuters notes that the DA’s office says no charges have been filed (yet).

“Trump jabs at judge in election case, testing warning against ‘inflammatory’ statements”

August 14, 2023, 6:09 amUncategorizedFirst Amendment, January 6Ned Foley

Politico reports. “In a Truth Social post just before 1 a.m., Trump assailed U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan as ‘highly partisan’ and ‘very biased and unfair,’ citing as evidence a statement she made during the sentencing of a… Continue reading

“Former Tenn. state senator sentenced to 21 months in campaign finance scheme”

August 14, 2023, 5:51 amUncategorizedCampaign financeNed Foley

Washington Post reports: “a federal grand jury indicted Kelsey for conspiracy, alleging that he funneled “soft money” — or funds not subject to federal limitations or reporting regulations — to a federal campaign committee to benefit his congressional bid.”

“Why Alabama’s Congressional Maps May Need to Be Redrawn, Again”

August 14, 2023, 5:30 amUncategorizedredistricting, Voting Rights ActNed Foley

N.Y. Times previews new federal court hearing in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling that affirmed the invalidation of the previous map under the Voting Rights Act. “In the new map, Republicans chose to increase the percentage of Black… Continue reading

“Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Bomb Threat to Arizona Election Official”

August 14, 2023, 5:24 amUncategorizedThe Big LieNed Foley

This is serious. While this case is one individual, it’s part of a disturbing development: “Threats against election workers and officials increased after former President Donald J. Trump spread the lie that fraud had cost him the 2020 presidential election.”… Continue reading

“Two Months in Georgia: How Trump Tried to Overturn the Vote”

August 14, 2023, 5:16 amUncategorizedJanuary 6, The Big LieNed Foley

While waiting for the Georgia indictment expected this week, the N.Y. Times recaps in detail the events upon which the anticipated charges are based. One detail I hadn’t seen before: “The Raffensperger family was soon barraged with threats, leading his… Continue reading

Wisconsin: “Vos says lawmakers may consider impeachment if Protasiewicz doesn’t recuse from redistricting cases”

August 13, 2023, 6:45 pmconflict of interest laws, judicial elections, redistrictingRick Hasen

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: If Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz does not recuse from lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative boundaries, Republicans who control the state Legislature might consider impeachment proceedings, the Assembly’s top Republican said Friday. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a… Continue reading

Will Donald Trump follow the legal advice he gave to Ted Cruz in 2016 on litigation challenges to ballot eligibility?

August 13, 2023, 10:30 amelectoral collegeDerek Muller

Washington Post, January 5, 2016: “Republicans are going to have to ask themselves the question: ‘Do we want a candidate who could be tied up in court for two years?’ That’d be a big problem,” Trump said when asked… Continue reading

“Prof. Michael McConnell, Responding About the Fourteenth Amendment, ‘Insurrection,’ and Trump”

August 13, 2023, 8:14 amUncategorizedJanuary 6Ned Foley

A Volokh Conspiracy post: “Putting together my friends’ broad definitions of ‘insurrection’ and ‘engage,’ and lack of concern about enforcement procedure, I worry that this approach could empower partisans to seek disqualification every time a politician supports or speaks… Continue reading

“Could a Third Party Finally Do It?”

August 13, 2023, 6:49 amUncategorizedpolitical parties, ranked choice votingNed Foley

Gerald Seib in the Wall Street Journal with an extensive analysis on both the recent history and current polarized climate that sets the stage for the prospect that a third-party campaign could roil the 2024 presidential election: “A Pew analysis… Continue reading