LOD: Just Helping You “Out”

Click here for a video and a narrative overview of the arguments today in the lawsuit challenging the redistricting plans drawn for the state legislature and Congress. The witnesses and attorneys are arguing this week on key aspects of the case related to whether or not the Republicans were justified by law in packing more black voters into certain districts to “help them” elect a candidate of their choice. Congressman Mel Watt told the court that he laughed when Republicans told him that they were trying to help him win election by moving the district lines to put more black voters in his districts (and create other districts with more white voters.)  “There is nobody in the African-American community that’s going to believe that you are doing this because it’s in the black community’s interest,” Watt recalls saying at the time.