The Department of Justice accuses the DCCC and consultant Paul Mitchell of hindering discovery in a lawsuit over California’s Proposition 50, saying key files were withheld and produced only days before a federal hearing. DOJ filings assert Mitchell prioritized racial considerations when drawing the map and that the DCCC had contractual access to his records. The DCCC denies the accusations. The court will consider whether Proposition 50 constitutes unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.
DOJ Says DCCC Hid Redistricting Files as California Prop 50 Faces Racial-Gerrymander Lawsuit
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks after California's special election on Proposition 50, a measure that would temporarily redraw congressional districts, at the California Democratic Party Headquarters in Sacramento, California, on Nov. 4, 2025.
The Department of Justice has accused the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and consultant Paul Mitchell of obstructing discovery in a federal lawsuit over California’s Proposition 50, alleging they withheld key documents and delayed producing several gigabytes of files until days before a three-day hearing.
In court filings, DOJ lawyers say the materials eventually produced include evidence that Mitchell “prioritized racial considerations” when drawing the proposed congressional map — including a slide deck arguing the map would expand voting opportunities for Latino residents. The department contends the DCCC had contractual access to Mitchell’s records and therefore an obligation to produce responsive documents during discovery.
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington in October.
According to the DOJ, Mitchell provided only a small fraction of the tens of thousands of files he reportedly held, raised repeated privilege objections at his deposition, and delivered several gigabytes of data less than two days before the hearing was scheduled to begin. DOJ attorneys say those actions hindered the government’s ability to review evidence in a timely manner.
The dispute is part of a broader lawsuit the DOJ joined against California Governor Gavin Newsom and the DCCC that alleges Proposition 50 — a voter-approved measure that would allow the state to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterms — amounts to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering. The DOJ has asked a three-judge panel to find that race was a predominant factor in drawing the map, a determination that could lead to an injunction against Proposition 50.
A Texas lawmaker displays a map during a Special Committee on Congressional Redistricting public testimony hearing on Aug. 7, 2025, in Austin, Texas.
The DCCC pushed back in a court filing, calling the DOJ’s arguments overreaching and accusing the department of overstating the committee’s access to Mitchell’s materials. A DCCC statement characterized the DOJ’s case as building theories on thin evidence.
National Context
The California litigation comes amid a wave of redistricting disputes nationwide. The Supreme Court recently issued an emergency order upholding a Republican-drawn Texas map after challenges claiming it was race-based. Louisiana has a case pending before the high court that could affect its map, Utah recently saw a state judge approve a new map that shifts one district toward Democrats, and states including Illinois, Maryland and Virginia are also revisiting district lines.
What’s at stake: If the court finds race was a dominant factor in the California map, it could block Proposition 50 and alter plans to redraw districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
