Republicans in the California legislature are fighting back in every way possible against Gov. Gavin Newsom's Election Rigging Act. A group of four legislators filed a petition with the CA Supreme Court Tuesday to halt consideration of the bills since they have not been in print for 30 days as the CA Constitution requires, and now a separate group is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate allegations of corruption and violations of federal law in the scheme.
CA Asm Carl DeMaio and other state legislators are asking for a federal investigation into allegations of corruption and violations of federal law surrounding Newsom’s proposed redistricting scheme. READ LETTER: https://t.co/TkdFtklkkq pic.twitter.com/DCWjWRDZlJ
— Office of Asm. Carl DeMaio (@AsmDeMaioOffice) August 20, 2025
In a press conference, DeMaio said:
As we learn more alarming details about Governor Gavin Newsom and California Democrat politicians' corrupt redistricting scheme, it is quite clear that we need a full and complete investigation of who's behind these maps and how these maps were constructed, because all of the shenanigans have been going on behind closed doors.
"When I go to a restaurant, I don't need to meet the chef."
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) August 19, 2025
Here's how California Assembly Elections Chair Gail Pellerin responded to repeated questions about who is responsible for CA's proposed Congressional maps.
CALeg Democratic leaders refuse to say who exactly. pic.twitter.com/XkJyWY8b4d
He continued:
There is a reason why the citizens in 2010 took it upon themselves to collect signatures to place a reform-minded initiative on the ballot in our state. They wanted to end the corruption that you are witnessing going on right now behind us in this building, the corruption where politicians, for their own political benefit and for partisan advantage, are working behind closed doors with powerful special interests and manipulating the lines of maps and trading votes allegedly.
Special interests like Planned Parenthood of California CEO Jodi Hicks, who testified Tuesday - and who's married to Paul Mitchell of Redistricting Partners, the company the DCCC hired to further gerrymander the maps?
‼️@TomLackey36: “Well, the last thing though I'd like to close with is, I find it a little bit disturbing that I have someone sitting on this dais with me. Miss Jodi, who is married to someone who, it's been reported, had an active role in this mapmaking, and that would be Paul… pic.twitter.com/0H4DXuyhOp
— California Assembly Republicans (@AsmRepublicans) August 20, 2025
Or special interests like the California Teachers Association and other unions, which testified in support of the plot? Let's go with "all of the above" and more.
According to these legislators, there are lots of specifics going around the Capitol:
I say allegedly because the rumor mill in this building is on fire with specific names of legislators who have been engaging in line drawing in line manipulation so that they can create for themselves a comfortable seat in Congress.
And, of course, as all the vote trading is going on, the quid-pro-quo, the exchange of consideration, who loses? California voters lose. Because they will be deprived of being offered an opportunity to have Fair elections, that opportunity that they fought hard and won in the 2010 election by creating the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
He contrasted the procedure the Citizens Redistricting Commission follows, which is essentially the opposite of what's happening.
All of the commission's meetings are held in public. Commissioners are barred from having secret discussions behind closed doors. Those are the rules of the California Redistricting Commission. And there's a reason why those rules exist - because we don't want vote trading. We don't want corruption, we don't want bribery, we don't want quid pro quo. Several media accounts have documented allegations, serious allegations, of potential bribery and vote trading and quid pro quo exchange of votes for changes in these maps, and it's all happened behind closed doors.
The most specific allegation that's been reported publicly is one we wrote about Tuesday, in which Mike McGuire, CA Senate President Pro Tem, who's terming out, had a congressional district modified so he could run in it.
DIVE DEEPER: CA Republicans File Emergency Motion Before CA Supreme Court to Halt Newsom's Election Rigging Act
Although these allegations could be investigated by the California Attorney General, DeMaio (and any reasonable Californian) doesn't trust that office to investigate. Wednesday's letter from DeMaio, State Sen. Tony Strickland, Sen Marie Alvarado-Gil, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, Asm. Heather Hadwick, and Asm. David Tangipa, was sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the five Assistant U.S. Attorneys who cover California. De Maio continued:
We believe that there are credible allegations that federal law has been violated in this corrupt redistricting scheme that's going on behind us. We also believe that there are prima facie violations of federal civil rights and voting rights laws that need to be investigated and adjudicated by the federal government.
This corruption must end. And if it is not the decision of the politicians to back down, then perhaps we will need a federal investigation to force them to finally comply with their oath of office and with ethical conduct and compliance with federal laws.
Hearings continue in the legislature Wednesday, with votes scheduled for Thursday. As of press time, there has been no action on the petition filed by four state legislators with the California Supreme Court seeking an injunction for Democrats' failure to follow the state Constitution related to a 30-day waiting period for all bills.
Read DeMaio's full letter to Bondi below.
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