Arizona Senate Leader Submits Records from Disputed 2020 Election Review
The ongoing saga of the 2020 election audit in Arizona has taken a new turn as the state’s Senate president complied with a federal subpoena. This development has reignited discussions on election integrity and the fallout from the review of Maricopa County’s election results.
Warren Petersen, the current Arizona state Senate president and a Republican, announced on social media that he has responded to a federal grand jury subpoena. “Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County,” Petersen shared via X. “The FBI has the records.”
As of now, the FBI has not offered any comment on the matter. Meanwhile, Maricopa County’s election officials have yet to receive a similar subpoena. Jason Berry, speaking for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, assured that, “Maricopa County runs elections in accordance with the law. We have not received a subpoena at this time but will cooperate if that were to occur.”
A Controversial Audit
Maricopa County was thrust into the national spotlight following the 2020 presidential election, as former President Trump narrowly lost Arizona. The county became a focal point for unfounded claims of election fraud promoted by Trump and his supporters. In 2021, the Arizona state Senate, under Republican leadership, commissioned a review of the election results. The review was conducted by a Florida-based cybersecurity firm with no election experience, leading to widespread criticism from election experts who deemed the process flawed and partisan. Despite these criticisms, the audit ultimately confirmed that President Biden won the county.
Moreover, Berry confirmed that the ballots from the 2020 election were destroyed following state laws that dictate the retention period for such materials. The Maricopa County recorder’s office has also not received a subpoena and referred inquiries to the state Senate president.
This development in Arizona comes on the heels of the FBI’s seizure of election materials from Georgia’s Fulton County in January. That action was also based on debunked allegations of election fraud. Election officials in other battleground states that Trump lost expressed anticipation of potential federal scrutiny. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes remarked on the situation, stating, “Wouldn’t surprise me at all,” when discussing the possibility of federal intervention in January. “Because there’s never been anything really wrong with election administration in America except for the fact that Donald Trump lies about it. That’s the No. 1 problem in this country when it comes to election administration.”
Reporting by KJZZ’s Wayne Schutsky and NPR’s Miles Parks contributed to this article.
