Following the release of a report on the 2020 election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has demanded a freeze on all election-related materials as the office preps for litigation and further investigation.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office Election Integrity Unit (EIU) on Monday sent a letter to the Arizona Senate “requesting supporting documents from the report released last week,” a press release detailed. “Additionally, the EIU asked Maricopa County to preserve all documents and data related to the 2020 election.”
“The Arizona Senate’s report that was released on Friday raises some serious questions regarding the 2020 election,” AG Brnovich said in a statement posted to the Attorney General’s office website. “Arizonans can be assured our office will conduct a thorough review of the information we receive.”
Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright said in a letter to the county that the office expects “further investigation or litigation,” following a review of the audit report, which was released last week.
“In light of our review, as well as the expectation the review may lead to further investigation or litigation, this letter is to provide notice to Maricopa County that a litigation hold should be in effect regarding all potentially relevant materials related to the 2020 General Election, as well as potentially relevant materials related to the 2020 Primary Election and 2020 Presidential Preference Election (combined referred to as ‘2020 Statewide Elections’),” the letter said.
“Wright lists some of the items to be preserved, including all of the ballots and envelopes as well as logs that the county refused to turn over to the auditors,” The Star News Network reported.
A draft report of the 2020 election review in Maricopa County “confirms the county’s canvass of the 2020 General Election was accurate and the candidates certified as the winners did, in fact, win,” county officials said announced this week.
The report suggested, however, that ballots were mishandled or even deleted — allegations that Maricopa County denies. Republican legislators in Arizona, who referred concerns about Maricopa’s election process to Brnovich, told the Arizona Mirror that the audit’s findings on who won 2020 the presidential election are immaterial and that Brnovich should investigate any alleged errors or mishandling reported in the audit.
“Arizona voters deserve an unimpeachable electoral process—and the State Senate is already working hard on new legislation to deliver that,” Arizona Senate President Karen Fann said in a letter to Brnovich. “As the Senate enters that next phase, there are several items in the reports that merit the attention of your office.”
The county also defended itself from allegations of wrongdoing on social media, claiming last week that the draft report had “errors” and “faulty conclusions.”
“Unfortunately, the report is also littered with errors & faulty conclusions about how Maricopa County conducted the 2020 General Election,” officials said.