The work of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission came to an unpleasant end, sputtering to a conclusion with acrimony and recriminations.
By Ray Stern | Arizona Republic
Small changes on redrawn political maps saved the careers of three incumbent Republicans in the Legislature, and Democrats now want answers — if not indictments.
The Arizona Democratic Party sent a complaint Monday to the Attorney General’s Office demanding a state investigation into what the party describes as a conspiracy to bend redistricting rules for GOP gain.
The 11-page complaint uses the words “illegal” or “illegally” eight times, claiming that David Mehl and Douglas York, the two Republican members of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, “resurrected” the practice of incumbent gerrymandering that the commission was designed to end.
Democrats accuse the commission of violating the prohibition against considering incumbency when drawing the new maps, violating open meetings laws and unlawfully using state resources for political purposes. But as with previous allegations on the issues, Democrats provided only circumstantial evidence.
The party’s state executive director, Charlie Fisher, peppered his announcement about the complaint with a dig at Attorney General Mark Brnovich, saying he launched an investigation into the use of Sharpie pens in the 2020 election “on the basis of Twitter anecdotes” but has “ignored” the “well-documented” issues alleged in the redistricting process.
The letter to Brnovich, also signed by Fisher, stated that if Brnovich wants the principles he’s espoused “to be anything more than lip-service,” he’ll probe the commissioners’ actions using subpoenas and other legal means.
“This is particularly important here, where it appears that the Commissioners conducted work on their personal cellphones and laptops, which are not being reviewed by the Commissioner’s legal counsel in responding to public records requests,” Fisher wrote. He added that the situation is a “constitutional crisis” and the “electoral maps are under siege by the illegal and unconstitutional conduct of certain Commissioners and state senators.”
Mehl and York didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The attorney general’s spokesperson, Katie Conner, confirmed that the office has received the complaint but said there would be “no further comment.”
