New reports expose the dark GOP money behind the Virginia Supreme Court betrayal - Queerty

"Last month, the people of Virginia voted to redistrict their congressional maps for the upcoming election in an effort to fight similar Republican gerrymandering tactics in Florida, Texas, and other red states. But almost as soon as citizens voted to give the state four more Democratic seats, the decision was contested, sent up to the Virginia Supreme Court, and struck down on a technicality."

"Coupled with the complete gutting of the Voting Rights Act earlier this month, the decision was a blow to liberals hoping to beat the GOP at their own game. It was also... you know... kind of shady. Republicans get to redraw their own maps while disenfranchising voters of color along the way, but when Democrats do it, suddenly it's illegal?"

""You gotta follow the money," Spehar said in a post uploaded yesterday. "Because it's not just about the voting, it's about the lobbying." It sure is! In April, Punchbowl wrote about a small bank based in Maryland and founded by state rep April McClain Delaney and her husband John. The Delaneys are democrats, but the causes the bank has funded have been primarily GOP aligned."

"The bank has also paid $400,000 in interest over the past few years to campaigns boosting Republican representatives and senators, including House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, who praised Tr*mp earlier this year for "delivering on his promise"

Virginia voters approved new congressional district maps intended to counter Republican gerrymandering in other states. The approved maps were quickly challenged and reached the Virginia Supreme Court, which invalidated them on a technicality. The outcome was viewed as a setback for Democrats seeking to compete with GOP redistricting tactics. The Voting Rights Act was also weakened earlier in the month, increasing concerns about voter protections. Reporting connected the dispute to money and lobbying. A Maryland bank founded by Democratic state representative April McClain Delaney and her husband funded GOP-aligned political efforts, including PACs and Super PACs. The bank also paid substantial interest to campaigns supporting Republican candidates and officials.

Read at Queerty