Missouri’s Supreme Court ruled the state’s secretary of state in contempt for advancing a new congressional map favored by Republicans, but the judges immediately cleared him after he switched back to using the previous boundaries. The decision hinges on the court’s interpretation that compliance with its order—by abandoning the contested map—automatically resolves the contempt finding. Legal experts will now weigh whether this sets a precedent for how election officials handle disputed redistricting orders. The case underscores ongoing tensions between state executives and judicial authority over electoral maps.
Missouri’s top court found the state’s head election official in contempt on Thursday over his push to implement Republicans’ new congressional map, but the judges agreed he is absolved now that he is reverting to the old boundaries. “The civil contemptor has at all times the power to purge himself of any contempt by complying with the order...
