Leaders Oroho & DiMaio Express Concerns About Conduct of Princeton Gerrymandering Project Staff in Letter to Princeton University

Senate Republican Leader Steven Oroho and Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio sent the following letter to Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber expressing concerns about the alleged conduct of Princeton Gerrymandering Project staff during their service as advisors to the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission.

The full text of the letter (click here for PDF) is below:

January 28, 2022

Christopher L. Eisgruber
Office of the President
1 Nassau Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544

Dear President Eisgruber,

We are writing to you after reading a news report about the conduct of members of Princeton University’s Princeton Gerrymandering Project during their service as advisors to the New Jersey Congressional Redistricting Commission.

As you are likely aware, it was reported by the New Jersey Globe on January 27 (Claiming partisan fairness models are proprietary, Princeton Gerrymandering Project won’t show their work by David Wildstein) that a pair of Princeton Gerrymandering Project staffers provided confidential information to assist Democrats while serving as supposedly nonpartisan advisors to the commission.

It has been alleged that Princeton Gerrymandering Project staff provided inside information to the Democratic congressional redistricting team about the strength of the proposed Republican map and provided guidance regarding specific deficiencies in the Democrat map that needed to be cured in order to create a stronger submission than that of the Republicans.

The congressional redistricting process is fundamental to our ability to uphold the principles of “one person, one vote” and representative democracy upon which our nation was founded. We need not point out that Congressional redistricting, and thus control of Congress, is not just important to the residents of New Jersey, but to the entire nation. Control of Congress invariably will play a role in foreign and domestic policy for decades, as well as the prioritization of funding for certain grants and programs over others.

By providing confidential information to one side, Princeton Gerrymandering Project staff likely tipped the scales in favor of Democrats.

We note that Princeton University faculty and staff are expected to abide by the university’s Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, which includes provisions regarding Academic Integrity, Honesty and Cooperation in University Matters, and Confidentiality of Records.

Princeton University is revered the world over as an exemplary institution of learning, held to a higher standard than most – and deservedly so. Taking no action to investigate and address the extremely serious allegations would certainly cast immeasurable doubt about the integrity of your institution.

We would like to know what steps Princeton University is taking to ensure that staff acted in a fair and nonpartisan manner.

Specifically, what steps are being taken to investigate the claims of improper conduct by Princeton Gerrymandering Project staff during the congressional redistricting process? What steps are being taken to hold staff accountable for any improper conduct that has taken place?

As an institution with a proven record of creating leaders in government and industry, it is imperative that you investigate the aforementioned claims.

While serving in a critical advisory role to the commission charged with fulfilling a basic duty of our Constitution, Princeton University has an absolute responsibility to demonstrate that its staff acted in a fair, unbiased, and nonpartisan manner.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Steven V. Oroho
Senate Republican Leader

John DiMaio
Assembly Republican Leader

cc: Princeton University Board of Trustees