Democracy Clips: February 14, 2023

 

BIG LIE AND ELECTION DENIALISM

 

A Judge Blocks The Release Of Most Of A Grand Jury Report In Georgia Election Probe. “The final recommendations of a special grand jury investigating attempts to overturn Georgia's 2020 presidential election will largely be kept under wraps, a judge has ruled. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney wrote in an eight-page order released Monday that there are due process concerns for people that the report names as likely violators of state laws, but he found that three sections that do not mention specifics can be released later this week, on Thursday.” [NPR, 2/13/23]

 

Parts Of Georgia Grand Jury Report On Trump And 2020 Election Aftermath To Be Made Public. “A judge in Fulton County, Georgia, will make public some parts of a report from a special grand jury that investigated Donald Trump’s actions after the 2020 election in the state, but not specific charging recommendations. In his order on Monday, Judge Robert C.I. McBurney said that the special grand jury’s introduction and conclusion as well as concerns the panel had about witnesses lying under oath will made be public on Thursday. Some of the information in those sections still may be redacted, the judge noted. Prosecutors in Georgia have aggressively investigated whether Trump or any of his associates broke the law while trying to overturn his 2020 election defeat in the closely contested state.” [CNN, 2/13/23]

 

Pence To Fight Special Counsel Subpoena On Trump's 2020 Election Denial. “Mike Pence is preparing to resist a grand jury subpoena for testimony about former President Donald Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election, according to two people familiar with the former vice president’s thinking. Pence’s decision to challenge Special Counsel Jack Smith’s request has little to do with executive privilege, the people said. Rather, Pence is set to argue that his former role as president of the Senate — therefore a member of the legislative branch — shields him from certain Justice Department demands.” [Politico, 2/14/23]

 

Jack Smith, Special Counsel for Trump Inquiries, Steps Up the Pace. “Did former President Donald J. Trump consume detailed information about foreign countries while in office? How extensively did he seek information about whether voting machines had been tampered with? Did he indicate he knew he was leaving when his term ended? Those are among the questions that Justice Department investigators have been directing at witnesses as the special counsel, Jack Smith, takes control of the federal investigations into Mr. Trump’s efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss and his handling of classified documents found in his possession after he left office.” [New York Times, 2/12/23] 

 

Defiant Kari Lake Carries Election Denier Banner Across Iowa Amid Divided GOP. “For two days, Kari Lake traversed this state with a clear message. She falsely claimed the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. She baselessly insisted that votes were rigged against her in her run for Arizona governor last year. And she warned without evidence that future races will be compromised. ‘If you lose, lose with dignity. You shake the other person’s hand and walk away,’ she told a crowd of approximately 200 at a reception hall on Friday, describing advice from her father on how to gracefully accept defeat.” [Washington Post, 2/12/23]

 

VOTER SUPPRESSION AND INTIMIDATION

 

NC Supreme Court Picks Dates To Rehear Voter ID, Redistricting Cases. “The North Carolina Supreme Court will rehear oral arguments in redistricting and voter ID cases in mid-March, according to a calendar posted to their website late last week. The high court issued rulings on the two cases, authored by the then-Democratic majority, last year. The majority invalidated Republicans’ voter ID law and ruled that the state Senate map used in last year’s elections was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.” [NC Policy Watch, 2/13/23]

 

‘Stakes Are Monstrous’: Wisconsin Judicial Race Is 2023’s Key Election. “Voting is under way in an under-the-radar race that could wind up being the most important election in America this year. At stake is control of the Wisconsin supreme court. Because control of state government in Wisconsin is split between Democrats and Republicans, the seven-member body has increasingly become the forum to get a final decision on some of the most consequential issues in the state – from voting rights to abortion. Since Wisconsin is one of the most politically competitive states and a critical presidential battleground, these decisions have national resonance. Millions of dollars have already begun to pour into the race, which is widely expected to become the most expensive supreme court election in state history.” [Guardian, 2/13/23]

 

GERRYMANDERING

 

Newly approved maps end prison gerrymandering in Montana. “Montana's Districting and Apportionment Committee signed off on new legislative maps for the state. Among the changes -- maps will now count incarcerated people in their homes instead of in prison cells. Experts say this ends prison gerrymandering in the state. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Montana is the third state to address the issue without legislation, joining Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.” [NBC, 2/13/23]