Ahead of Oral Arguments, RSLC’s JFI Releases New Ad Calling on Ervin to Recuse Himself from Redistricting Case
Will Geotarget North Carolina State Capitol Complex, Supreme Court, and Those Watching Proceedings on YouTube
Washington D.C.— The Republican State Leadership Committee’s Judicial Fairness Initiative (JFI) today released a new digital ad ahead of oral arguments for the North Carolina State Supreme Court case of Harper v Hall challenging North Carolina’s new congressional map. The ad, which will be backed by a five-figure buy, calls on liberal Justice Sam Ervin to recuse himself from the case due to its potential to help his reelection campaign. It will air from February 1-3 and will geotarget the North Carolina State Capitol complex, the State Supreme Court, as well as those watching the proceedings unfold on the Court’s YouTube page.
“This case has already helped Justice Ervin's reelection by delaying the primary, and his continued involvement creates an unavoidable conflict of interest,” said Judicial Fairness Initiative Vice President Andrew Wynne. “The redistricting process should not be hijacked by a member of a liberal, activist supreme court whose ruling advantages his political ambitions. Justice Ervin should recognize his direct, personal interest in this case and immediately recuse himself. His continued involvement reveals the case is little more than a power grab for Washington Democrats, who know they cannot win the House of Representatives back by running on their disastrous records.”
Watch “Call It Fair” HERE.
TRANSCRIPT:
Referee (clip): Call it fair ref!
NARRATOR: That’s all we want from referees. Fair, impartial, just like our judges. But if Liberal Judge Sam Ervin was your referee, you’d boo him off the field. Ervin already ruled in a case that could help his reelection. Now he’s refusing to step aside in another that could keep Pelosi in power. Ervin needs to let impartial judges decide. Throw the flag on Ervin. Tell him to recuse on redistricting.
BACKGROUND
In January, legislative defendants in the case filed a recusal motion against Justice Ervin, noting the conflict of interest he faces because he is running for reelection.
According to the Carolina Journal, there is a historical precedent for North Carolina Supreme Court justices to recuse themselves from redistricting cases during an election year.
The North Carolina Supreme Court in December anonymously ruled to pause the filing period and delay the state’s primary.
ABOUT THE RSLC’S JUDICAL FAIRNESS INITIATIVE (JFI)
Led by Barack Obama and Eric Holder, Democrats are fighting to transform the traditional role of the judiciary from an arbiter of the facts and the law to an advocate for the liberal political agenda. The RSLC’s Judicial Fairness Initiative (JFI) is the only national political effort focused exclusively on halting this transformation by protecting the election and selection of state court judges. JFI provides critical information about judicial candidates in an environment where voters are routinely left in the dark about a candidate’s qualifications for the bench. JFI fills that gap by providing the facts and analysis voters need to cast informed votes for judicial office. Since its formation, JFI has raised and spent more than $21 million in states across the country, including Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
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