Maricopa County and Arizona GOP Still Clashing Over 2020 Election Investigation Records

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Trump Lost
 A highway billboard sign declares ‘Trump Lost,’ in Phoenix, Ariz. October 27, 2021 bought by Republicans for Voting Rights, 6485. File photo: Rebekah Zemansky, Shutter Stock, licensed.

PHOENIX, AZ – The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and Arizona state GOP members continue to clash over the 2020 election and allegations of voter fraud, with Republican State Senator Kelly Townsend claiming that the county is not responding to another round of record requests that were originally made on March 9.

The Republican-run Board of Supervisors has long maintained that accusations of voter fraud in Maricopa County – which Biden won by 45,109 votes, according to the official results – are unfounded, but a GOP-led audit of the election progressed nonetheless, fueled by former President Donald Trump’s unproven accusations that he lost the election because it was “rigged.”

The latest example of the two parties butting heads comes despite a recent report issued by an independent outside auditor that found no evidence that ballot tabulation equipment used by the county was connected to the internet, making Republican accusations that the machines were hacked in Joe Biden’s favor extremely unlikely.

Townsend filed a subpoena on Monday, saying she wants to know why a request for records from the Arizona’s Attorney General’s Election Integrity Unit for “documents that would assist in the 2020 General election” investigation has yet to be filled by the Maricopa County’s Board of Supervisors.

Townsend said that she filed the subpoena because she was growing impatient with Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office.

I have grown tired of waiting for the attorney general to compel (the records) and decided to do it myself,” she said.

However, Board Chairman Bill Gates issued a statement on Tuesday, noting that Maricopa County has already provided the attorney general’s office with over 4,000 documents and five PowerPoint slide decks, in addition to answering all questions put to them and providing in-depth tours of election facilities.

Gates maintained that the county is not dragging its feet on the records request, but is simply processing the records in question, and that they “will be provided in a reasonable period of time.”

In her subpoena, Townsend cites a report that claims nearly 5,300 ballots should have been thrown out from the 2020 election for having mismatched signatures; however, Gates said that the report – authored by Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai – is “discredited,” saying voter signatures and ballot envelopes are not public records and, therefore, he would not be able to accurately compare signatures.

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