Penelope
Diamond Member
- Jul 15, 2014
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Thomas Brunell, a Texas professor with zero government experience, is the Trump administration's favorite to be named as deputy secretary at the U.S. Census Bureau, a vital position that will impact the 2020 census as well as forthcoming elections.
"If true, it signals an effort by the administration to politicize the Census," Terri Ann Lowenthal, former co-director of the Census Project, an organization that tracks the census, told Politico. "It’s very troubling."
Brunell, a registered Republican, authored a book in 2008 titled, "Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections Are Bad for America" and has testified on behalf of Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts, Politico reported.
While Brunell has criticized partisan gerrymandering, his work has been cited by GOP redistricting efforts "and he appeared as an expert witness to defend GOP-led states in lawsuits over potential gerrymandering," according to Politico.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election, and he established an election fraud commission in order to crackdown on the so-called issue, but has dealt with it's own corruption problems.
Brunnell was originally considered to be appointed as the census director, which is a job that requires a confirmation by the Senate, Politico reported. However, after the administration was criticized, they ultimately decided not to nominate him and instead are looking to hire him as the agency's deputy secretary, which does not require a Senate confirmation, as soon as this week.
"This is worse than making him director," a former high-ranking Commerce Department official, told Politico. "There still is going to be hell to pay on the optics. The Democrats and civil rights community will go nuts."
Trump's Census pick should worry you
--------------------------------------------------
We need to do away with the electoral college and this is evidence.
"If true, it signals an effort by the administration to politicize the Census," Terri Ann Lowenthal, former co-director of the Census Project, an organization that tracks the census, told Politico. "It’s very troubling."
Brunell, a registered Republican, authored a book in 2008 titled, "Redistricting and Representation: Why Competitive Elections Are Bad for America" and has testified on behalf of Republican efforts to redraw congressional districts, Politico reported.
While Brunell has criticized partisan gerrymandering, his work has been cited by GOP redistricting efforts "and he appeared as an expert witness to defend GOP-led states in lawsuits over potential gerrymandering," according to Politico.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election, and he established an election fraud commission in order to crackdown on the so-called issue, but has dealt with it's own corruption problems.
Brunnell was originally considered to be appointed as the census director, which is a job that requires a confirmation by the Senate, Politico reported. However, after the administration was criticized, they ultimately decided not to nominate him and instead are looking to hire him as the agency's deputy secretary, which does not require a Senate confirmation, as soon as this week.
"This is worse than making him director," a former high-ranking Commerce Department official, told Politico. "There still is going to be hell to pay on the optics. The Democrats and civil rights community will go nuts."
Trump's Census pick should worry you
--------------------------------------------------
We need to do away with the electoral college and this is evidence.
