Sec. Katie Hobbs calls Arizona election a success, blasts fraud theories

PHOENIX – Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs called the state’s 2020 election “a rousing success” and blasted voter fraud implications in response to state Senate President Karen Fann’s call for an investigation of the count.

“To be clear, there is no ‘current controversy’ regarding elections in Arizona, outside of theories floated by those seeking to undermine our democratic process for political gain,” wrote Hobbs, the state’s top elections official and a Democrat, putting words used by the Prescott Republican in quotation marks.

A day earlier, Fann asked Hobbs in a letter to “make available all data and the logic and accuracy tests to independent expert evaluation.”

In a press release sent to the media along with Fann’s letter Monday, but not sent to Hobbs’ office, Fann appeared to imply she wanted a more wide-reaching probe than what was laid out in the letter.

“Today I sent a letter to Secretary of State Hobbs, calling for an independent expert to evaluate all data related to the tabulation of votes in the 2020 General Election,” the press release said. “The people of Arizona must know their votes were lawfully counted and the election was completely legitimate.”

Hobbs said she would release any records subject to release under state law, but no more.

Hobbs noted the difference between Fann’s letter and the press release and called the broader request “unfounded.”

“It is patently unreasonable to suggest that, despite there being zero credible evidence of any impropriety or widespread irregularities, election officials nonetheless have a responsibility to prove a negative,” Hobbs wrote.

“I respectfully decline your request to push aside the work that remains to be done to ensure an orderly completion of this election and instead launch and fund with taxpayer dollars a boundless ‘independent’ evaluation of ‘all data related to the tabulation of votes in the 2020 General Election.’”

Fann did not allege any wrongdoing in her letter, but cited fraud claims from “various parties” and “many others” without any specifics about the claims or who made them.

“Assuming the allegations of fraud are without merit, an independent analysis would help to restore credibility and hopefully end the current controversy over fairness in the election process in Arizona,” said Fann, who won reelection in District 1 with more than 72% of the vote.

Hobbs’ response included a rundown of the state’s election security measures and how they’d been presented to members of the Legislature in March and July by her own office, the governor’s office and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“With these safeguards, the public can be confident in the ‘fairness in the election process in Arizona,’” Hobbs wrote, again including Fann’s words.

Follow @kstonezone