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Meadows office: He didn't sign gerrymandering brief

Meadows, R-N.C., agreed only to review this brief, "but never intended to formally sign on," spokesman Ben Williamson said in an email Thursday.

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Mark Meadows
By
Travis Fain
RALEIGH, N.C. — It seems there was mistake this week in a legal brief tied to a U.S. Supreme Court case targeting partisan redistricting: Republican 11th District Congressman Mark Meadows didn't sign onto it, his office said Thursday, even though the brief repeatedly says he did.
The brief in question, which lists Meadows and 35 other current or former members of Congress as "amici," parties not involved in the litigation but backing one side of the case, argues that overly partisan gerrymanders are un-American, undemocratic and ought to be reined in by the court.

The underlying case out of Wisconsin, Gill v. Whitford, could set nationwide precedent and change the way election maps are drawn.

Meadows agreed to review the brief "but never intended to formally sign on," spokesman Ben Williamson said in an email Thursday.

"It was a miscommunication," Williamson said.

It's unclear exactly what happened. WRAL News has reached out to WilmerHale, the law firm that filed the brief.

In addition to listing Meadows as a co-signer, the brief quotes him three times, relying on comments he's made to news outlets in the past and referring to him as "amicus Rep. Meadows."

Republican 3rd District Congressman Walter Jones and Democratic 4th District Congressman David Price were also included on the brief, apparently with their consent. The brief's central argument put GOP signers at odds with Republican General Assembly members in North Carolina who have defended the practice of partisan gerrymandering. The filling says extreme versions of gerrymandering "cannot be reconciled" with the founding fathers' vision for the U.S. House of Representatives.

"(Meadows') name was added in error and has been removed from the brief," Williamson said via email. "We continue to enjoy a tremendous working relationship with the North Carolina state legislature and are grateful for everything they do."

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