Jeffries Floats Packing Courts After Virginia Redistricting Collapse

Republicans immediately seized on the revelations, arguing the discussions amounted to an attempt to intimidate or politically purge judges who ruled against Democratic interests.

Critics also pointed to the broader context surrounding the Virginia redistricting battle.

Democrats had invested enormous political capital and tens of millions of dollars into the effort, only to see the maps invalidated after the state high court found constitutional problems with the process.

Virginia Republicans had repeatedly warned that the strategy faced serious legal vulnerabilities, including concerns about the timing and legality of the referendum process used to authorize the new maps.