Possible illegal Maricopa County voter file posting referred to Arizona AG’s office

PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office alerted the Arizona Attorney General’s Office on Thursday of potential illegal activity regarding the online posting of voter files.

The discovery was first made by ABC15’s Garrett Archer, who posted Monday that someone sent him a link to the entire Maricopa County voter file that was posted online without a password, a violation of A.R.S. § 16-168(F).

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican, said the information likely came from a public records request and was posted in violation of state law.

Someone just sent me a link to an entire @maricopacounty voter file that was posted online for public access by an outside the state GOP group.

— The AZ – abc15 – Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) September 13, 2021

Richer said the release of information was “troubling” and called on Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office to take fast action on the matter.

“I take any allegation of wrongdoing very seriously, especially when it comes to the potentially illegal use of information that my office administers,” Richer said in a press release. “Every public records request this office responds to requires the individual or organization receiving the information to certify that the information will not be posted on the internet.

“We do this to safeguard protected information of Maricopa County constituents.”

Anyone who violates the subsection of the state law Richer’s office referred to the AG’s office will face a Class 6 felony.

Brnovich’s office has yet to comment on the issue.

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