Thread by @hansilowang

Over past 3+ months, I've read 12,000+ pages of internal docs the Trump admin has released for #2020census citizenship question lawsuits. I've been reporting on how @SecretaryRoss' explanation of how this Q ended up on census has suffered blow after blow w each document dump 👇

@SecretaryRoss 2. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross oversees the census. He's testified in Congress that Justice Department initiated citizenship Q request in Dec 2017 & he was "responding solely" to that. In March, he announced he approved adding question to forms every US household has to answer

@SecretaryRoss 3. After the announcement, I was having trouble keeping up w all the lawsuits that started popping up. Right now, more than 2 dozen states/cities, plus other groups, are suing the Trump admin in 6 lawsuits around the country. These lawsuits required the release of internal docs.

@SecretaryRoss 4. From 1st doc dump on June 8, we learned:

-Ross overruled Census Bureau warnings that adding Q was costly, risk to accuracy, not best way to get citizenship data

-Kris Kobach contacted Ross abt citizenship Q "at the direction of Steve Bannon"

n.pr/2JtMfoF

@SecretaryRoss 5. Then, a surprise memo came out on June 21. It contradicted Ross' testimony in Congress, revealing he & his staff contacted DOJ 1st abt requesting citizenship Q, which he started considering adding "soon after" he became commerce secretary in Feb 2017.

n.pr/2K9GpJF

@SecretaryRoss 6. More documents came out in July, including May 2017 email by Ross to staff: "I am mystified why nothing have been done in response to my months old request that we include the citizenship question. Why not? [sic]"

n.pr/2O9n2mc

@SecretaryRoss 7. One more email from that dump to note... Commerce official Earl Comstock wrote to Ross in May 2017: "We need to work with [the Justice Department] to get them to request that citizenship be added back as a census question."

apps.npr.org/documents/docu…

@SecretaryRoss 8. Even more docs were released in late July, including August 2017 email from Ross to Comstock: "Where is the DoJ in their analysis ? If they still have not come to a conclusion please let me know your contact person and I will call the AG."

n.pr/2uUgRdL

@SecretaryRoss 9. Some emails/memos were redactions. Plaintiffs' attys pushed to get them unredacted & last wk I reported on Comstock's Aug 2017 email to Ross: "Since this issue will go to the Supreme Court we need to be diligent in preparing the administrative record"

n.pr/2p1TPi0

@SecretaryRoss 10. Last night, I reported on one more revelation from unredacted September 2017 memo: Justice Department initially didn't want to request a citizenship question when approached about one by Commerce Department beginning in May 2017

n.pr/2pgaTAL

@SecretaryRoss 11. This story is not over. 1st potential trial over #2020census citizenship question is set to start in NY on Nov. 5. More trials may start in CA & MD in January. Watch this space...

@SecretaryRoss 12. ...because however these lawsuits turn out, they will impact ALL of us because the #2020census numbers will reshape the country's political map for the next 10 years.

Sincerely,

Your @NPR #2020census reporter

P.S. 👇

https://twitter.com/hansilowang/status/1040626484388540416