Last Updated on December 18, 2020
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors have voted to resist and not comply with the subpoenas issued to them by the Arizona Senate to perform an electoral audit.
In a meeting on Friday, instead of complying with the subpoena issued by the Arizona Senate and the will of any American wishing to see election transparency, Maricopa Supervisors voted to resist the subpoenas 4-1, and take the fight to court.
Clint Hickman, a Republican member of the Board of Supervisors, said that being served with the subpoenas was like “a slap in the face,” after claiming they had done all they could to “give them a full scope of what this election, and how it transpired, the processes, the people behind it, the machinery, the software”:
I had to then feel that those subpoenas were predetermined no matter what I went there to say, no matter what our legal team went down there to say… I have a letter that I have written to Senate President Fann that will hopefully get back to the legislature quickly. I’ve been clear to the public and the legislature: A forensic audit will be done, but not while there’s active litigation. I believe this demand – these subpoenas are unrealistic in their timeframes.
Steve Gallardo, the only Democrat on the board, described the subpoenas as simply a “sideshow” created by the legislature:
I respect many of my former colleagues at the Capitol, I respect what they’re trying to attempt to do, but I’m not interested in playing games. I’m not interested in this political theatre. I’m not interested in trying to satisfy a small, small group of loud participants at the expense of a certified tabulation system. I’m not interested in trying to do a sideshow, when it comes to the information of millions of voters. I want to be able to move forward, I believe this election is over.
https://twitter.com/AZGOP/status/1340057561907675137
Only 1 Republican out of 4, Steve Chucri, opposed the measure, and supported a transparent audit.
I understand that legal issues need to be resolved before an audit goes forward or it could be perceived as tampering with evidence, I understand all that. However, I do not think that it can be done in isolation. I’ve said that several times… I will not be supporting this measure today because of those issues, and primarily because I think it should be coupled, today’s motion, with an audit.
Supv @Steve_Chucri (R): "I will not be supporting this measure today because of those issues and primarily because I think it should be coupled—today's motion—with an audit." Thank you, Supervisor Chucri! (The lone vote against the complaint.) pic.twitter.com/HXc3QfuraY
— Republican Party of Arizona (@AZGOP) December 18, 2020
The Board of Supervisors for Maricopa County were served with subpoenas on Wednesday, following a decision by the Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee that they were required to complete a full, forensic audit of the Dominion voting machines, software, and related ballots, used by the County in November’s election.
“If we perform an audit and everything was done perfectly, that’s great, we’ve gone a long way in restoring the confidence in this process,” said Eddie Farnsworth, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, on Monday. “We hold an audit… and then we can put this to rest.”
BREAKING: Arizona Sen. Eddie Farnsworth says he plans to subpoena Dominion for their "machines, ballots, and software" following today's legislative hearing on voter fraud pic.twitter.com/uQjdf33dlx
— National File (@NationalFile) December 14, 2020
Reacting to the story, Dr Kelli Ward, the Chair of the Arizona GOP, said that Hickman was actually “slapping millions of Arizonans in the face by refusing to shine a light on the extremely problematic 2020 election” in Maricopa County. “He works for YOU!” Ward exclaimed. Ward was joined in her complaint by State Senator Michelle Ugenti-Rita, who helped issue the subpoenas on Monday.
https://twitter.com/kelliwardaz/status/1340031122541932544
Not complying to the subpoena is a slap in the face to the voters of Mariocpa County. https://t.co/q97t61merk
— Michelle Ugenti-Rita (MUR) (@MichelleUgenti) December 18, 2020
