ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona Senate votes to not hold Maricopa County board in contempt

Feb 8, 2021, 3:54 PM | Updated: 3:57 pm

(AP Photo/Matt York)...

(AP Photo/Matt York)

(AP Photo/Matt York)

PHOENIX — In a surprise move Monday, the Arizona Senate voted to not hold the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in contempt for failing to turn over voting machines and ballots from the November election.

The vote was expected to pass with a Republican majority, but GOP Rep. Paul Boyer voted against the resolution, evening the tallies at 15 each and killing the resolution.

If the vote would have passed, the five-member board consisting of just one Democrat could have been subject to immediate arrest.

“Ultimately, today’s vote to reject the resolution provides more time for us to work together for the sole purpose of gaining more clarity,” Boyer said in a statement. “It is NOT a final determination, nor is it the end of the process.

“My vote is about patience. It’s about resolving disagreements civilly, and these are things that I believe all Senators can agree upon regardless of our respective votes today.”

The Senate has been trying since mid-December to get access to ballots and other materials so they can do their own audit of the election results. They are prompted in part by the many Republicans who subscribe to unfounded claims that President Joe Biden won Arizona because of problems with vote counting. GOP senators say they’re just trying to boost voter confidence in elections.

The board has already turned over a massive amount of data requested by the Senate as it seeks to perform an outside audit of the election that saw former President Donald Trump lose in the state. Republicans continue to raise unfounded claims of potential fraud or miscounts, which were rejected by a series of Arizona courts, including the state Supreme Court.

The supervisors said in Friday’s court filing that while they respect the power of the Legislature to issue subpoenas and have provided much of the information lawmakers seek, it would be illegal to turn over the ballots, and allowing access to voting machines by unqualified personnel would render them useless in future elections.

Senate President Karen Fann issued a statement Monday morning slamming supervisors for their lawsuit.

“This new lawsuit is filled with a mischaracterization of facts to gain advantage with the courts and the media,” Fann said. “Instead of making efforts to reach a resolution, the county is trying to score points.”

Fann announced on Jan. 29 that she had hired a firm to conduct an audit of the county’s elections, but has since backtracked and said she has not hired an auditor. But correspondence between Fann’s lawyer and the county shows that Fann is proposing to use a firm with strong connections to the Trump campaign’s efforts to overturn election results in multiple battleground states to do the review, with oversight from another firm.

The Allied Security Operations Group worked with Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani to raise baseless allegations of election fraud and counting errors in Arizona and other states. The documents outline the work the company would do for the Senate if they are allowed access to ballots and election equipment, including recounting at least 550,000 ballots and collecting “forensic images” of software used in ballot counting machines.

The board supervisors have repeatedly pointed to multiple tests of the voting machines done before and after the election and hand counts of a sample of ballots that showed the count was accurate.

They fought subpoenas issued in December by the Senate Judiciary Committee with the backing of Fann in court. Still, the county is conducting two new voting machine audits.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Valley events calendar...

KTAR.com

Valley events calendar: Here’s a rundown of things to do around metro Phoenix

Our Valley events calendar keeps you up to date on the wide variety of activities across the Phoenix area.

33 minutes ago

The evacuation order for the Brady Fire was lifte on Wednesday....

KTAR.com

Evacuation order lifted for residents near Brady Fire south of Prescott

The evacuation order for a community threatened by the Brady Fire south of Prescott was lifted on Wednesday evening, authorities said.

2 hours ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

2nd teen in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal has died

The second teen involved in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal last week has died, authorities announced Wednesday.

3 hours ago

Two men were injured on Wednesday night when a suspect opened fire at a group of unsheltered people...

Kevin Stone

Suspect opens fire at unsheltered people at Tempe park, injuring 3

Three people were injured on Wednesday night when a suspect opened fire at a group of unsheltered people in Tempe, authorities said.

3 hours ago

A confiscated firearm is seen sitting on a table at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Feb...

Serena O'Sullivan

Phoenix Sky Harbor hopes to cut down on amount of firearms in security checkpoints this year

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport officials are trying to educate passengers on how to at properly travel with firearms.

5 hours ago

The Phoenix Zoo announced a new habitat 'Big Cats of Arizona: A Bridge to Arizona Wilderness' will ...

Bailey Leasure

Big cats of Arizona habitat set to open at Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo announced a new habitat 'Big Cats of Arizona: A Bridge to Arizona Wilderness' will be opening at the zoo in April. 

5 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford’s Operation Santa Claus: Spreading holiday cheer through pickleball

Phoenix, AZ – Sanderson Ford, a staple in the Arizona community, is once again gearing up for its annual Operation Santa Claus charity drive.

Arizona Senate votes to not hold Maricopa County board in contempt