MEDIA ADVISORY FROM COMMON CAUSE: Pre-Moore v. Harper Rally, Post-SCOTUS Argument Press Conference on Wednesday

12.5.22 | Media Contact: Sarah Ovaska sovaska@commoncause.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Common Cause and Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) will host a rally outside the U.S. Supreme Court beginning at 9:30 a.m. ahead of oral arguments in Moore v. Harper. A press conference outside the Court will follow the arguments, which will be streamed here after the court gavels in at 10 a.m. 

Moore v. Harper is an appeal filed by North Carolina Republicans that seeks to give state legislatures near-total control over federal election laws, including but not limited to congressional redistricting. The NRF, the 501(c)(3) affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, is supporting the Harper respondents in this case alongside Common Cause and the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV). 

Specifically, this Supreme Court case is an appeal of Harper v. Hall, a landmark state court case in which the North Carolina Supreme Court determined that the congressional map enacted by Republicans in the state legislature was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. As a result of that ruling, a state court ultimately adopted a fair congressional map. NRF, Common Cause and NCLCV all supported the decision of the NC Supreme Court.

Moore v. Harper is a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case involving a dangerous legal argument that seeks to eliminate the checks and balances served by the state judiciary and to allow state lawmakers to exercise nearly unchecked power to manipulate federal elections.

Speakers at the “No Lawless Lawmakers” rally include representatives from Common Cause and SCSJ, as well as the League of Women Voters, Advance NC, the N.C.League of Conservation Voters and the National Redistricting Foundation and members of North Carolina’s Congressional delegation. 

The press conference following oral arguments will include speakers from Common Cause and the legal teams at global law firm Hogan Lovells, SCSJ, the N.C. League of Conservation Voters and the National Redistricting Foundation. 

WHAT: Moore v. Harper No Lawless Lawmakers rally and post-arguments press conference

WHO:  (Press Conference):

On behalf of all Respondents: 

• Neal Katyal, Partner at Hogan Lovells and Saunders Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, former Acting Solicitor General of the United States

On behalf of Common Cause and the Southern Center for Social Justice: 

• Kathay Feng, National Redistricting Director, Common Cause, and
  Allison Riggs, Voting Rights Chief Counsel and Co-Executive Director for SCSJ

On behalf of the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters: 

• Dan Crawford, Director of Government Relations, NCLCV, and
  Jessie Amunson, Jenner & Block, LLP, Counsel of Record for the NCLCV Respondents in the Supreme Court

On behalf of the National Redistricting Foundation: 

• Marina Jenkins, Director of Litigation and Policy, National Redistricting Foundation, and
  Abha Khanna, Partner at Elias Law Group

WHEN:  Rally begins at 9:30 a.m.Wednesday, Dec. 7. Post-argument press conference will follow TBD after hearing same day 

WHERE: United States Supreme Court, 1 First Street NE, Washington, D.C.