Redistricting panel conflict of interest, media cover up

The Texas redistricting process has now been marred by a conflict of interest. Since the conflict favors liberals, the media has been as quiet as a mouse (the latest media dereliction of duty).

The United States judicial code provides for the disqualification of a judge if his spouse or a person within the third degree of relationship to either individual is a party to the proceeding. Democrat legislators sued to have maps drafted during the session disqualified and redrawn by judges. Democrat Senator Leticia Van De Putte is the sister-in-law of one of the three judges on the panel who redrew the maps, Judge Orlando L. Garcia. Since the state was sued it’s officers are a party to the suit making Garcia’s relation to Van De Putte a conflict of interest.

Republican State Representative Sarah Davis (R) filed a motion to intervene, noting the clear conflict of interest but the motion was dismissed.

No Texas newspapers featured the story as they should have. Our survey revealed one major Texas daily mentioning the episode.

In 2010 Republicans won a super majority of seats in the Texas House solidifying control of the redistricting process. Democrats spent millions to take power before the process but failed. Now liberals are relying on judicial activist to aid Democrats.

Jason Embry of the Austin American Statesman gave this conflict of interest a mention in his First Reading, noting that the court denied Davis’ motion.

Here's a link to a thread posted in 2003 about Sen. Van de Putte.

Democrat Van de Putte Blasts Redistricting in National Radio Address
Lubbock, TX, Avalanche-Journal ^ | 09-21-03 | AP
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/986559/posts
Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2003 9:28:36 AM by Theodore R.
Democrats blast redistricting in national radio address Associated Press
AUSTIN (AP) — Democrats used their national radio address Saturday to accuse congressional Republicans of trying to steal votes in Texas and called on President Bush to put a halt to congressional redistricting efforts in his home state.
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte of San Antonio accused the GOP of using recount, recall and redistricting efforts in Texas and nationwide in a "new playbook for a narrow Republican majority attempting to use government to expand partisan power."
She called the effort to redraw congressional voting districts an attack on minority and rural voters.
"This is bigger than Texas," Van de Putte said in the broadcast. "It's part of a national pattern that threatens to make a mockery of our precious democracy — where the powerful change the rules when the people get in the way."
The Texas Legislature has been battling over redistricting efforts spearheaded by Republicans. The GOP controls both the state House and Senate and wants to end the Democrats' 17-15 majority hold on the state's congressional delegation.
Republicans believe that winning more House seats will bolster the president's support in Washington. The current congressional voting districts were written by a three-judge federal panel in 2001.
Texas Democrats have twice fled the state to block votes on the issue but the boycott failed earlier this month when one senator broke ranks to return to Texas.
The House has already passed a map with new voting districts and the Senate is expected to approve its version next week.
The two chambers would then negotiate the differences.
Van de Putte's address repeated Democratic complaints that U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and Bush's chief strategist, Karl Rove, have influenced the redistricting fight.
Earlier in the week, Bush called Texas redistricting a state issue that should be handled by state leaders.
"I get blamed for a lot of things," he said.
Van de Putte, who said the country has other concerns such as education, health care and the economy, called on Bush to contact Texas Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, to end the redistricting effort.
Perry so far has called three special sessions to draw up new maps.
"The president cannot claim he wants to win our hearts while the White House signals it's OK to steal our votes," Van de Putte contended.

Isn’t Rick Perry still the governor there?

Ha, he's been in campaign mode for months and won't be back to govern anything until two weeks after he loses. Even then, he'll be in lib RINO mode until it's time to run again for governor. When will people realize he's only conservative right before an election. This isn't just any Senator. This is Leticia Van De Putte we're talking about. She's been either a Rep or Sen since the 90s and co-chaired the 2008 DNC. You remember that election, yeah the one where Pelosi lied about Hussein's NBC and the DNC backed her up. She was also the ringleader of the RATS who whined about redistricting a few years back and shut down the Texas legislature costing the taxpayers $$$$ by running away to Oklahoma and to New Mexico. If Leticia doesn't get her way, she'll stomp her feet and hold her breath until she turns blue (not that she can get anymore RAT blue). You can bet on it, if it's not her brother in law, it'll be another of her hand picked judges.

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