New Jersey Redistricting : Princeton Gerrymandering Project Comes Under Fire

The Democrats look like cheaters , courts look complicit and Republicans play the fool again .

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Princeton NJ, Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho responded to news that Princeton University has launched an internal investigation into allegations of impropriety by the head of the Princeton Gerrymandering Project.

“Princeton Gerrymandering Project has served in positions of trust as a supposedly unbiased advisor in redistricting processes in New Jersey and elsewhere,” said Oroho (R-24). “Unfortunately, it appears that trust may not have been deserved. I’m glad to learn that Princeton University is investigating the concerns that we and others have raised to help us understand the full extent of the problem.”

Oroho and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio wrote a letter to Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber in January to request an investigation after serious allegations were raised during the congressional redistricting process.

It has been alleged that Princeton Gerrymandering Project staff acted inappropriately to tip the scales in favor of Democrats.

The University responded to Oroho and DiMaio on January 31 with a two-sentence response: “Thank you for your letter of January 28, 2022. The matter will be addressed in accordance with University policy.”

Alexandra Wilkes, Communications Director of the New Jersey State Committee (“NJGOP”) issued the following statement in response to new reporting that details Princeton University‘s investigation into the deceptive research practices of Princeton Gerrymandering Project head Sam Wang- including cheating and manipulating data to fit his own ideological objectives. Dr. Wang closely advised Justice John Wallace (the 11th & tie-breaking member) of the Congressional Redistricting Commission and played an integral role in the selection of New Jersey’s current Congressional district map.

“Today’s disturbing report that revealed Princeton University‘s investigation into Sam Wang’s research practices and professional conduct proves what the NJGOP has been saying for months: Sam Wang and Princeton Gerrymandering Project deliberately cheated to engineer the Congressional redistricting process in Democrats’ favor, and unduly influenced Justice Wallace under false pretenses.”

While working on New Jersey redistricting, Wang was accused of manipulating data to achieve the outcome he wanted, three individuals confirmed.

“He’d fudge the numbers to get his way,” said one individual. “He had an agenda. He was good at hiding it when he had to, but it was clear Sam wanted Democrats to win and he was willing to cheat to make that happen.”

Princeton Gerrymandering Project staffers raised considerable objections to a report Wang had written on New Jersey’s congressional redistricting that they said was biased. A senior legal strategist on Wang’s team, a graduate of a top law school who had clerked for two federal judges, worked through the night to rewrite sections that were tilted in favor of the Democratic map in a bid to seek the appearance of greater objectivity.

The congressional redistricting tiebreaker, former New Jersey Supreme Court Justice John E. Wallace, Jr., said that he relied on Wang’s “evaluation of partisan fairness of the maps” in his amplification of reasons why he voted for the Democratic map.

While New York’s highest court blocked the New York state’s Democratic-drawn congressional map yesterday, concluding that the new boundaries represented a partisan gerrymander that violates the state constitution, New Jersey’s courts unfortunately rejected the same argument even though the New Jersey map was drawn in the same manner. Many issues arose out of New Jersey’s redrawn map including serious concerns about the impartiality of its’ appointed tie-breaker and Sam Wang, the advisor to the tie-breaker, who is now under investigation by Princeton for misconduct. The Court must revisit New Jersey’s Congressional maps.