Cuomo Administration Really Doesn’t Want to Get Involved with Redistricting Lawsuits

"Randy lay there like a slug. It was his only defense."

Counsel for the Cuomo administration in the Favors v. Cuomo redistricting case filed papers today in response to a three-judge panel’s request for defendants to show cause why they shouldn’t have to produce witnesses related to the drawing of this year’s Senate and Assembly district lines.

Not surprisingly, the Cuomo administration is claiming they can’t produce anyone, because they had nothing to do with drawing the maps.

“Defendants Cuomo and Duffy played no role in drawing the lines on the challenged map,nor did anyone on their staffs. Thus, Defendants Cuomo and Duffy have no names of individuals that they can identify or make available for depositions. Nor do Defendants Cuomo and Duffy have any documents in their possession, custody, or control responsive to the Drayton Intervenors’ proposed document requests,” writes Joshua Pepper, counsel from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office.

As the Times-Union’s Jimmy Vielkind wrote this morning in his story on a related redistricting case, Cuomo will have an easier end of session if the lines go through as they are.

“The governor on Thursday predicted a ‘relatively quiet’ end to this year’s legislative session. But he added if the court throws out the lines, ‘Take back everything I said before.’”

The Governor’s office, while not involved in the drawing of the lines, did have redistricting expertson hand to help his office understand the issues at stake in the map drawing. As I reported in February, he received counsel from

Jeremy Creelan, his special counsel on public integrity and ethics, and George Mason University professor Michael McDonald. And as Azi Paybarah reported, the Governor briefed good government groups and advocates on the redistricting process.

Cuomo, Favors v. Cuomo case