12/ But ProPublica persisted. It’s a sweeping story of how one man, who believes he was called by God, rose to the top of the NC supreme court and used it to transform his state and nation:

www.propublica.org/article/paul...

11/ “I’m sure you’re aware of our connections with the Trump Administration and I’m sure they would be interested in this matter,” the NC GOP comms director wrote. “I would strongly suggest dropping this story.”

He bolded and underlined "strongly," just in case we didn’t get the point.

10/ However, this is a story that the NC GOP Communications Director, Matt Mercer, warned ProPublica not to tell. When I sent questions to Newby’s daughter, who works at the NC GOP, Mercer responded.

9/ I reached out to Newby multiple times during the course of my reporting and was even escorted out of a judicial conference while trying to interview him. The court’s communications director and media team also didn’t respond to detailed questions.

8/ Arguably, Newby has now become one of NC’s most powerful people.

7/ In NC, Newby’s decisions have impacted everything from voting rights to environmental regulations. By helping GOP lawmakers to strip powers from the Dem. governor, he’s played a role in cementing GOP dominance of the purple state.

www.politico.com/news/2023/04...

6/ That’s not all. During his two-decade rise, Newby has provided a blueprint for conservatives to seize most of the nation’s state supreme courts, which have increasingly become the final word on abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights and, especially, voting rights.

publicintegrity.org/politics/hig...

5/ The 6-sweat swing gave Republicans, led by Trump, control of Congress and every branch of the federal government.

www.nytimes.com/2024/11/13/u...

4/ This gerrymandering transformed NC’s congressional delegation from 7 GOP and 7 Democrats in 2022 to 10 GOP and 4 Democrats in 2024.

3/ In 2023, Newby led the court’s conservatives in reversing a recent decision by the court when it was led by Democrats, ruling that partisan gerrymandering was legal in NC. GOP lawmakers then gerrymandered the state.

2/ Recently, he was essential in consolidating Trump’s grip on power by delivering to Republicans trifecta control of the federal government.

Read my full story here:

www.propublica.org/article/heat...

12/ Honey has a long history of rightwing activism and election denialism that is covered comprehensively in this article by @votebeat.org‬ and @spotlightpa.org‬:

​​https://www.votebeat.org/pennsylvania/2024/02/12/heather-honey-pennsylvania-election-integrity-eric/

11/ @democracydocket.com om first reported Honey’s appointment: tinyurl.com/39su7b7v

10/ DHS, the White House, and Honey did not respond to requests for comment.

9/Experts also expressed concerns about Honey’s potential access to classified information, given her history of spreading false claims about elections.

8/ Since Honey started, Trump has announced “a movement to get rid of” mail-in ballots and voting machines via executive order, though a top aide subsequently said the administration would pursue those goals through legislative action.

rollcall.com/2025/08/20/w...

7/ Former federal officials said that while it’s not clear yet what Honey will oversee, deputy assistant secretaries are typically the agency’s top experts in their subject areas. They’re often involved in drafting executive orders and crafting policies and serve as liaisons to the White House.