(CNN) – The controversial removal of an Arizona state official charged with redrawing congressional districts was overturned Thursday by the state's Supreme Court.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, had sought to remove Colleen Mathis from her post as chair of Arizona's Independent Redistricting Commission, citing a “substantial neglect of duty, gross misconduct in office, or inability to discharge the duties of office.”
In a statement, Brewer called Thursday's decision "regrettable."
“With its reinstatement of the IRC Chairwoman, the Supreme Court has averted its eyes from the Commission’s misdeeds," Brewer said. "The Chairwoman’s actions to meet in secret, arrange critical votes in advance of meetings and twist the words and spirit of the Constitution have been forgiven – if not endorsed outright."
The Arizona Supreme Court determined in a ruling issued Thursday that claims against Mathis were unsubstantiated, and reinstated her to the redistricting board. The court said a fuller opinion on the matter would be forthcoming.
Brewer's decision to remove Mathis from the post was seen as a highly political move in Arizona. It came after Mathis' commission redrew congressional districts that Republicans claimed unfairly favored Democrats.
In a letter dated November 1, Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett wrote Mathis alerting her of her removal.
Bennett wrote Mathis had failed to "apply the Arizona Constitution's redistricting provisions in an honest, independent and impartial fashion, and [had failed] to uphold public confidence in the integrity of the redistricting process."
–CNN's Justin Lear contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Brewer is one of the many crooked republicans put into office this past year. She and her "kick-back" private prison owners should all go to jail.
Corrupt GOP ruin you for not doing things the way they like.
too bad Brewer. Your recall is next
Another criminal move by right wing nutjobs thwarted. The law and the const*i*tution mean nothing to these criminals. Go OWS!!!!
Brewer should have consulted Tom DeLay on redistricting issues. She would have learned how to be discreet and sneaky about it to justify her ends.
Round one in the re-districting battle.
In other words, she did her job and not what Republicans wanted her to do.
underhanded tactics still at play across the country,glad the official was reinstated.
AZ officials and Governor Brewer have huge credibiliy issues. They have shown themselves to be corrupt, discriminatory, and have no respect for the law. AZ should wake up and throw all of these Republicans out of office in 2012.
I'm a resident of Arizona and Jan Brewer is a joke. Arizona picked up another Congressional district based on the Census. What the bipartician group came up with was four safe districts for the Republicans, two safe districts for the Democrats and three toss up districts. My question to Brewer and the other whiny Repbublicans is what do they want? Would they only have been satisfied if the redistricting group made all nine districts safe for Republicans? As far as I'm concerned all nine districts should be toss ups. I believe the reason our country is so politically polarized is because of the extremism on both sides. Safe districts for either party allows them to run the most extreme candidates without concern of seeking moderation because they're sure to win, they're in a safe district. By the way, roughly 1/3 of registered Arizona voters are Republican, 1/3 are Democrats and 1/3 are Independents.
The queen doesn't need to follow your rules.
Just because you don't like someone, you can't have them removed with out a just cause. Brewer is trying to bully the redistricting committee into what she wants for the good of the GOP. That seems to be a growing theme among GOP governors - be a bully and to hell with the consequences.
Good. Our Governor has overstepped her authority, once again, but this time she has been stopped. This woman is and continues to be an embarrassment to our state.
Great job!!!
Brewer is a misfit. When does her term expire?
Three of the most ridiculous people in politics today are Jan Brewer, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and "Machine Gun" Jesse Kelly, all from the State of Arizona. Let's hope the people can wrest control from these types in the next election.
When have governors in this country ever been more embarrassing than now? Brewer, Perry, Nikki Whatshername, the Appalachian Trail guy, Kasich, and every southern governor. Each one trying to outdo the other for stupidity, political chicanery, racism, greed, and immorality. Is there just one honest person out there who can get elected?
Have you no shame?
Trailer Trash Jan loses another. A trend. Blatant abuse of power for partisan gain is unacceptable. Gerrymandering is a violation of voter rights. THis commission was set up consciously to be independent so that new voter districts would be reasonable and just. The original commission's redraw of legislative boundaries was fair and balanced (ooops, sorry, Fox). Brewer openly favored lines that added at least one extra Republican seat. Sorry, Jan. Moe-ron.
Recall Brewer!
This is nice to know. I'm surprised to hear that she didn't blame the liberal media, activist judges, obama, the communists, athiests, etc. Poor Jan looking down the barrel of decline and loss. 2012 can't come soon enough. The Arizona Spring will be rising and the shoots are already poking up.
So I guess the state of Arizona has one of those "Activist Judges" Supreme Court thingy's, right Gov. Brewer?
once again the 99% legally defeat the right wing's illegal contorted obfuscations
Arizona Republicans already hold an advantage over Democrats by virtue of the fact that 5 of the 9 of the districts traditionally vote Republican. There is one toss up district, which can fall either way. That leaves just 3 districts that traditionally vote Democratic.
It is my understanding that the net result of the proposed redistricting is a new toss-up district. What could be more fair than that? Sounds to me like Gov. Brewer is complaining about the deck not being further stacked in favor of Republicans.
I was really glad to hear about this last night. I am so tired of all of the political maneuvering. Just let it happen the right way and run in a real district fair and square. Sometimes it seems like politicians who are trying to get elected by a democratic system, do not believe in democracy. I'm glad people are waking up to all of the problems we need to fix with regards to fair elections and a representative democracy in this country. Now we just need to make things happen.