Racist audio leak has ‘tainted’ L.A.’s redistricting maps. Now some want them scrapped
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One of the leading experts in the U.S. Congress on redistricting has been forced to deny allegations that he helped compile maps that would dilute minority voting strength in statehouses across the country.
But now, as they are set to begin drawing up new districts for elections next year, members of Congress have become more focused on the question of whether they can be thrown out of office or if the maps can be altered.
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), who was elected the first woman to lead the House in 2007, said the GOP’s “whitelash” in the last election has “tainted” her majority-run state of California — and a map drawn by Democrats might not be strong enough for voters who live in areas with the most diverse populations.
“Now that the evidence has become clear to me, I am calling on my colleagues in the House to withdraw their support of the maps,” Pelosi said in a statement. “It is time for them to face facts and begin an effort to restore the confidence of the American people.”
Republicans have been trying to oust the current majority in a series of primaries and special elections — though most of the races they have tried to challenge the maps, like the one in Georgia, have ended in Democratic victories.
However, the accusations that have surfaced of the so-called “Kochtopus” have brought the focus squarely back on the maps, leading to the recent effort to challenge the maps in federal court.
Republicans have said they are merely trying to protect the maps, and the Democratic-led push to undo them is an effort to “steal” power.
“Now that we know the truth, we will make sure that the new maps reflect our values as constituents. Now, we will find ways to hold them accountable,