Maricopa County’s Hickman frustrated with Brnovich, suppression of election report

PHOENIX — Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman said he was frustrated after learning that the complete findings of the 2020 election investigation were kept under wraps for months.

Hickman joined KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show on Friday and voiced his displeasure with Mark Brnovich, the attorney general in charge of the investigation, and his feelings on the matter that started more than two years ago.

Here’s what Hickman had to say:

Q: What was your initial reaction to that report and after hearing Brnovich’s previous comments?

A: Just par for the course, you know, and speaking in tongues a little bit. That’s unfortunate and that’s the frustration that I felt, especially reading this report. Let me just tell you, you know, I’ve been asked about this. ‘What do you guys think about this report now?’

I can just say personally, I was happy for the first five minutes that it finally has come out. Then I’ve had anger ever since and then knowing what he had and then deciding to change the total findings and then appear on right wing radio and keep us hanging, dangling on the meat hook … I’m disgusted and that’s where I remain. I’m absolutely disgusted.

Q: Do you feel a sense of vindication now with seeing what this report actually said?

A: Partially. I think all of us feel vindicated in some ways, especially, on the political side. In the report, it says that there were three politically elected officials that said that they had evidence and they either flat out refused to come in or as they know, if you talk to a law enforcement official, there are felony charges if we catch you lying. Then all of a sudden their tune changes, but their tune doesn’t change when they’re out there fundraising.

So I’m a little bit vindicated and I hope that everybody understands what most of this is all about at this point — it’s a fundraising tool and I want people to know that. The other thing is, I hope it vindicates me with the citizens of both Maricopa County and the state.

Q: Was there anything in this report specifically that you saw that surprised you?

A: The footnotes surprised me. There was what sounds like some stand-up investigators in that area. I think they still work there. Maybe they don’t, but they were saying that’s wrong … that’s a surprising thing. I think there’s going to be be more surprises.

Q: What was it like to have people show up at your home with your wife and your children there?

A: I was blessed to have two sheriff’s deputies protecting me. It wasn’t the greatest feeling having to be holed up in my house, uh, with people coming on a Sunday night demonstrating against me and saying that I’m failing to uphold my oath.

Q: Do you believe that some of that would have gone away or would have not happened had this report gone out earlier?

A: This really started catching fire right directly after the election and then this was going on during the Cyber Ninjas audit. Now look at where we’re at right now … there was not an audit at all. It was basically, ‘let’s see if the paper ballots were there.’ They counted and still came up with even more [President Joe] Biden votes.

So they handed over this audit report … the election integrity office then takes it and investigates all of these things. It gives us the ability as the county to really look deep. We explain everything within about a two-week time period and the result of [Brnovich] getting handed this report then is the answers are suppressed. It sat through an election, it sat all the way to be handed over to Attorney General Kris Mayes and I think there absolutely needs to be a search further.

Sometimes you find heroes and sometimes you find zeroes. I want to find them both in that office.

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