Guest column: Holder's hypocrisy is showing in challenge to House map

By JEFF LANDRY
Just when I thought political hypocrisy could not hit a lower point, Eric Holder came along to prove me wrong.
Last week, Holder and his National Democratic Redistricting Committee filed a federal lawsuit accusing Louisiana of using gerrymandering to dilute the strength of black voters. This leftist political organization backed by former President Barack Obama argued our state should have concocted a way to create another majority-black congressional district.
In the most ironic twist of fate, Holder and his liberal cronies ignored the fact that Louisiana’s congressional district map was approved by the United States Department of Justice led then by Holder and Tom Perez – the current chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Yes, that is correct: Holder and Perez found the plan approved by our Legislature to be completely lawful under the Voting Rights Act. Now these liberal crusaders are suing our State to prevent use of the very maps they previously cleared.
Instead of winning elections at the ballot boxes, the Left is attempting to use litigation as their means to victory. S
ince they are unable to win on ideas and policies, they have resorted to legal claims that Louisiana dilutes the votes of our black citizens.
For eight years, the Obama-Holder-Perez administration unlawfully used their authority to take over police departments, proliferate sanctuary cities and encourage men to use girls’ bathrooms in public schools.
Now that they are out of power in government, this merry band of community organizers is abusing our judicial system to advance their radical agenda.
Their junk lawsuit – seeking to enjoin Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia – represents nothing more than political hypocrisy. I
t invokes the use of discrimination during Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era, and even David Duke’s 1991 gubernatorial campaign; yet it fails to provide any clear evidence of current racial discrimination or mention Holder’s own prior approval of the map.
While liberal groups will surely use this lawsuit to gin up racial animosity and fill their coffers, our State has to unfortunately use our precious tax dollars to defeat it. I hope the Governor and each of the candidates for Secretary of State will go on record with me in opposition to this blatant political ploy..
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Sustainable Resources with a minor in Biology from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.