Leftist groups caught offering $50 bribes for testimony backing partisan redistricting maps
On Tuesday, it was reported that the Center for Civic Policy (CCP), a billionaire George Soros-funded far-left group, as well as one other, was bribing New Mexicans with $50/each to testify on behalf of the organization’s radical partisan maps, which gerrymander Republicans into the extreme minority.
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, “Kathleen Sabo, executive director of New Mexico Ethics Watch, said Monday her agency received copies of emails sent to some New Mexicans from both the Center for Civic Policy and NAVA Education Project.”
“In both cases, representatives for those organizations offered $50 stipends to help citizens attend the meetings in person and testify in favor of what they call the ‘People’s Map’ — which would reformat state congressional boundaries by creating a new district with a Hispanic voting population majority,” read the report.
The so-called “People’s Map” is an ultra-partisan redo of New Mexico’s current congressional and legislative maps. The maps would gerrymander Albuquerque’s South Valley into the Second Congressional District, segregating it from the rest of Albuquerque. Then, the First District would wander east all the way to Roswell, while half of Hobbs would be chopped up into the Third District, which would snake all the way up to Española and Santa Fe.
Sabo called the bribes to constituents for testimony “concerning.”
But Elizabeth Cuna, the campaign manager for the CCP claimed “such financial support efforts ensure impoverished residents and people of color — who may not have equal access or opportunity — can make their voices heard at events that may affect their lives.” However, the meetings were available to attend via Zoom and the portal for testimony was online, for anyone to access.
Still, Cuna says, “The stipend amount is moral,” adding, “It is a practice that should be encouraged, should be embraced.” Apparently, bribing voters to advocate for heavily partisan maps (the exact opposite of the Citizens Redistricting Committee’s purpose), is “moral” to the far-left extremists.
Melanie Majors, executive director of the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, asked, “You could attend these meetings virtually, so why would anybody need a stipend to attend it?”
Edward Chávez, the supposed unbiased voice of the Citizens Redistricting Committee ran cover for the dark money organization, saying, “I don’t think these people are showing up and testifying just because they were paid.”
The final maps proposed to the New Mexico Legislature are to be voted on this Friday, October 15. New Mexicans are encouraged to submit their comments against these extreme CCP maps through the Redistricting Committee’s portal. More information can be found here.