Newly discovered gerrymandering files should remain secret, NC Republicans tell court

[Judi Lynn]

Source: NewsObserver


BY WILL DORAN
JUNE 17, 2019 07:19 PM, UPDATED 4 HOURS 41 MINUTES AGO

RALEIGH
North Carolina Republican lawmakers on Monday asked a court to make sure the files of the now-deceased GOP strategist Tom Hofeller are destroyed, or at least kept secret, instead of being used in a high-profile gerrymandering lawsuit.

The lawmakers argued that their opponents in the gerrymandering lawsuit “have a terrible case” and “have no choice but to wage a smear campaign designed to turn this forum into a stage for political disputes.”

The filing comes after the groups behind the lawsuit, including Common Cause, accused Republican lawmakers of making false statements in court in a previous gerrymandering case, when the state’s 2011 maps were ruled unconstitutional. That blockbuster accusation made national headlines and was, it said, based on Hofeller’s files which had been secret until recently.

After Hofeller died in 2018, his daughter found some of his personal files and gave them to Common Cause.

Read more: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article229997404.html

[trev]

1. Republicans are getting more and more desperate.

[LiberalFighter]

2. How would they have the power to destroy someone elses property?

In this case the daughter appears to have ownership.

[pecosbob]

3. They aren't the property of the government

They are property of the heir. GOP doesn't get to say f*ck-all about what happens to them outside that courtroom and neither does the judge for that matter. These aren't the government's documents. The judge can do whatever he wants in the court, but outside it's doors, it has no control over those documents, even should the rightful owner chose to give it all to the Times.

[Sgent]

7. I'm not sure they are his property at all

most of this time he was working for the RNC or affiliated entities, so presumably his papers would be their property. In addition, its possible / probable that attorney work product applies to a good portion.

This is going to be a mess.

[vsrazdem]

8. I don't think that logic flies. He was probably an independent contractor/consultant

By the scenario you are using, then Trumps accountants, who were working for him, would not be able to release documents to the house committee. I believe work product usually applies to employees, but I could be wrong.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. His files are intermediate. They are not the "product". There is no intellectual property issue. .nt

[lagomorph777]

20. I don't think that guy was a lawyer, or at least wasn't acting as a lawyer.

Just a consultant.

[dchill]

4. Heh. Good one, Gops!

What else you got?

[Xipe Totec]

5. Translation: It's not fair because if you allow it we lose. nt

[HuskyOffset]

6. Your Honor, I object!

[cstanleytech]

9. I am not sure a "Oh, this shows we have been lying to the court but please ignore it" defense will

work for them with the court but who knows.

[NCjack]

11. Hofeller devised a strategy for gerrymandering to create a permanent

Republican majority. To his instructions on how to proceed, he provided this warning: “Make sure your security is real.” Then, failed to do that for his original materials.

[NCjack]

12. I hope Michael Moore makes the movie and releases it before the 2020 election.

The voters need to see what the GOP does to win.

[JudyM]

15. The voters need to act, as well. We need outrage in the streets about our voting infrastructure.

[Gothmog]

13. Why hide these documents?

[turbinetree]

14. Hey Republicans you hired him and anything that you do is suppose to be transparent

this means everything you do, including hiring that dead asshole, who thought is was just fine and dandy to fuck citizens over when it came to voting............................this includes all contracts that you had with the piece of shit, your in a fucking lawsuit and the other side has a "right" mind you to have "all" documents that pertain to their case of how you fuckers want to fuck people over............she, the daughter has the right to give any and all information to whomever she deems should have it........................you republicans are as bright as burned out light bulb...............................

[riversedge]

16. Well Repugs--it is time to see what is so "terrible" in these secret files.

[MineralMan]

17. Those files make us look bad, your Honor.

So, they should be excluded.

[Sancho]

18. Hell no!! Opposition research is fair game!

[Firestorm49]

19. Oh so typical from the party of cowards.

In WI, Robin Vos, Assembly Leader, was pivotal in crafting Wisconsin’s highly partisan gerrymandering laws. The procedure was done behind closed doors at and with the help of a Madison law firm, and was even kept secret from their own party members until it was unveiled.

When told to appear in court to justify the maneuver, he refused, and appealed to the heavily tilted Republican controlled WI Supreme Court which gave him a mulligan.

This is totally ridiculous. They craft these totally biased laws but don’t have the manhood to openly defend their decisions. It’s things like this that brings blood to the boiling point.

[paleotn]

21. Hey! NC Rethugs....

Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

As a former NC resident, I hate those bastards with every fiber of my being.