DEMOCRATS: EDINBURG LEGISLATOR AARON PENA LIED ABOUT HIS ROLE IN REDISTRICTING

“Principles have never been Aaron Pena’s strong suit but this is a disgusting new low. He used his position on the redistricting committee to gerrymander his own district then lied about it on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives,” said Boyd Richie, Chairman of the Texas Democratic Party. “Aaron Pena simply is not worthy of the privilege of public office.”

By Anthony Gutierrez

In April, during floor debate on the state house redistricting proposal, Republican State Representative and member of the House Committee on Redistricting Aaron Pena (Edinburg) emphatically and repeatedly stated that he had no role in drawing the actual lines for the controversial district that was created for him in Hidalgo County. [1]

During last week’s redistricting trial, Ryan Downton, the House Redistricting Committee Counsel, testified [2] in open court that he worked with Representative Pena on the district lines after the first draft of the map was released. He then went on to say that Pena would identify specific neighborhoods that he believed were favorable to him so that Downton would include those in his district.

The incident Downton refers to in which he and Pena worked together to modify the initial configuration of state house district 41 occurred sometime between April 13 and April 19. [3]

Eight days later, on April 27, the state house map was debated on the House floor at which time Pena, in direct contradiction with Downton’s testimony, unequivocally stated he had no role whatsoever in the drawing of the actual lines for his district. As recorded in the House Journal, he said his only role was offering three broad suggestions. (Gutierrez is the Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Democratic Party) [click here for full report]