Divide and Dilute: Alleged Racism Sucker Punches Balch & Bingham
While Balch and their foolish goons may have believed they had successfully and legally diluted and divided African-Americans, the reality appears to be that Balch has simply diluted and divided the once-prestigious firm.
[Originally published on September 26, 2019, this post highlights one of the most explosive issues encouraged by systemic racism: disenfranchising African-American voters. Any corporate client of Balch & Bingham should be sickened.]
Another day and another new Balch & Bingham bombshell.
The consultant who allegedly disenfranchised African-American voters in North Carolina by creating legislative maps that were later ruled “extreme partisan gerrymandering” had contact with key Alabama redistricting operatives, including a Balch & Bingham partner.
The efforts to disenfranchise African-Americans in Alabama in 2011 eventually backfired.
The Montgomery Advertiser reports:
Thomas Hofeller, who drew maps for Republicans in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, corresponded with then-Rep. Jim McClendon, R-Springville, who helped oversee Alabama’s redistricting process, and Dorman Walker, a Balch and Bingham attorney who defended the state plan in court, as the redistricting process in Alabama began in 2011.
The legislature was later forced to redraw the maps after federal courts ruled that legislators improperly used race in drawing a dozen districts.
The documents published by The Intercept suggest Hofeller saw guidelines used by the redistricting committee and was researching or had received data on racial breakdowns in the state.
McClendon declined to answer follow-up questions about how the maps were drawn. Walker had no comment on Tuesday. Hofeller died in 2018.
Adding more fuel to the fire, Alabama Political Reporter writes:
Asked about the Hofeller’s documents in The Intercept story relating to his work in Alabama, which indicate Hofeller was dividing Alabama’s district lines based on race to… dilute minority votes, McClendon said “Well, I’m not going to comment on that.”
McClendon said Alabama’s population is about 25 percent black, and “25 percent of our legislators are blacks. Are you getting the picture here? Yeah. So. Okay. What do you want?”
Is anyone truly shocked about Balch & Bingham’s alleged involvement to help divide and dilute African-American voters?
- Ask the African-American residents of the Vincent “whites-only” land grab.
- Ask the poor African-American children of North Birmingham that were targeted with a fake “coat drive” in the North Birmingham Bribery Scandal.
- Ask Kimberly Bell, the only African-American female lawyer at Balch’s Birmingham office who was let go last spring.
During the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement, Birmingham’s infamous Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor used water hoses and attack dogs on African-Americans showing the world the ugly truth of institutional racism.
Today, the use of bribery, money laundering, campaign contributions, “confidentiality agreements,” and the legal system helps keep the ugly truth of institutional racism hidden.
Balch & Bingham probably sees nothing wrong with their alleged egregious conduct now exposed by The Intercept.
But Dorman Walker, (pictured left) a long time Balch & Bingham partner, ought to hold his head down in shame while Corporate America should continue to reject the unsavory conduct of Balch & Bingham which has yet to apologize to the African-American community for the dishonorable conduct of Balch-made millionaire Joel I. Gilbert.
While Balch and their foolish goons may have believed they had successfully and legally diluted and divided African-Americans, the reality appears to be that Balch has simply diluted and divided the once-prestigious firm.
From the right to “ruin a rival” in the Newsome Conspiracy Case to declaring Balch “owed no duty” to Dave Roberson, the chickens have come home to roost.
