Tarrant County commissioners have approved a $250,000 contract with conservative law firm Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) to defend the county against a lawsuit over its redistricting process. The 3-2 vote, along party lines, comes after Republicans drew new boundaries for the commissioners court precinct maps in an attempt to add more Republican representatives.
Opponents of the redistricting say it unfairly dilutes Democratic voting power by packing voters of color into one district. A lawsuit filed in June accuses the county of racial gerrymandering and PILF’s involvement as a conflict of interest is being questioned.
The Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office does not see a conflict of interest, but this will be determined as the case progresses. The law firm previously defended Galveston County in a similar lawsuit, with an appeals court ruling that voters from different racial groups cannot sue over racial gerrymandering.
Commissioners are working to implement the changes made by PILF, updating county operations and ensuring compliance with the new map.
Source: https://fortworthreport.org/2025/07/01/tarrant-county-approves-250k-contract-with-law-firm-to-fight-racial-gerrymandering-lawsuit-2