Judge orders census citizenship case to go forward, will look at Trump ‘discriminatory motive’

A federal judge Friday ordered that a case go forward on whether a citizenship question can be added to the 2020 census and said it will focus on whether the Trump administration was “steeped in discriminatory motive.”

U.S. District Court Judge George Hazel’s order could allow evidence from recently deceased Republican consultant Thomas Hoeffler to be introduced. Files discovered by his daughter showed that he played a key role in the administration’s decision to try to add the question and that it would aid GOP efforts to radically gerrymander legislative districts to the disadvantage of Democrats.

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