AZ Trump Electors Join Suit To Force County To Comply with Subpoenas for Dominion Voting Machines
Arizona GOP Chairwoman Kelli Ward announced on Monday that she and her fellow President Donald Trump electors will be joining a suit seeking to force Maricopa County to comply with subpoenas related to November’s election.
Last week, Arizona State Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Eddie Farnsworth issued subpoenas to audit the Dominion Voting Systems equipment used in Maricopa County and to review the digital images of the ballots cast.
All ballots counted through the Dominion voting machines are scanned and a digital image is created, he explained in an interview.
“There is technology that can look at those ballots to see if there are any anomalies, to see if there’s any dual voting and whether or not these were pre-printed,” Farnsworth said.
The subpoenas gave Maricopa County officials until 5 p.m. on Friday to comply.
Maricopa County is the state’s most populous, encompassing the Phoenix metropolitan area. Trump carried the county over Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 by approximately 45,500 votes, or 2.9 percent.
In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden tallied about 337,900 more votes than Clinton and won the county by 2.2 percent or a 5.1 percent swing from 2016.
So Arizona matched the pattern seen in other key swing states’ metropolitan areas of Biden doing significantly better than the Democratic Party’s 2016 nominee.
“You and we are doing everything in our power to stop the steal of this election and maintain election integrity in our state and around the country,” Ward said in a video posted to the Arizona Republican Party’s Twitter account.
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In today’s update, Chairwoman @kelliwardaz announces that Arizona’s Trump electors will intervene in the legislative subpoena case. pic.twitter.com/997Wg9dUSa
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) December 21, 2020
“So here’s a little recap,” she recounted. “On Friday afternoon, just before the 5 p.m. deadline, the Maricopa Board of Supervisors decided not to comply with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s legislative subpoena. Instead they decided to sue the Senate Judiciary Committee.”
“The big news is that we, the electors, the Republican electors for president Donald J. Trump and Mike Pence, we are entering into this case because the county’s lawyers have mentioned our case in their case,” Ward said.
The Arizona Mirror reported the board of supervisors voted 4-1 to file a complaint in state court to challenge the subpoenas.
“These subpoenas are unrealistic in their timeframes, an intrusion into the privacy of our voters, and want us to disregard the statutes that they’ve created,” Board Chairman Clint Hickman, a Republican, said.
“All five supervisors said they support a third-party audit of the voting machines, a sentiment several had expressed well before the Senate Judiciary Committee met. But they said that an audit must wait until after election-related litigation wraps up because those machines could be considered evidence,” according to the Arizona Mirror.
Farnsworth suggested on Monday that the board of supervisors may be trying to run out the clock.
“The BOS has not requested an expedited hearing. Apparently they are planning to drag this out for a while. We will be filing a response,” he tweeted.
The BOS has not requested an expedited hearing. Apparently they are planning to drag this out for a while. We will be filing a response.
— Eddie Farnsworth (@FarnsworthEddie) December 21, 2020
“If the county wants to conduct an audit of the election, Farnsworth said it could have asked the courts to allow it to do so. But he’s seen no movement in that direction, only repeated comments that the county will conduct an audit at some point in the future. And if the audit is contingent on the end of litigation, Farnsworth said there could be more lawsuits coming that would hold things up,” the Arizona Mirror reported.
Last Monday, Arizona joined electors six other swing states — Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Michigan — in gathering and voting for the Trump/Pence ticket in order to preserve the president’s rights as his campaign’s litigation efforts continue.
Mr. President @realDonaldTrump – we are with you in #Arizona. We are working every avenue to stop this coup & to stop our Republic from crumbing. Patriots are united. Those who are against us are exposing themselves. #Liberty & #freedom are on the line. #CrossTheRubicon @GenFlynn pic.twitter.com/wbzjqkQJv7
— Dr. Kelli Ward ?? (@kelliwardaz) December 20, 2020
On Friday, the Arizona Republican Party tweeted, “Maricopa County attorneys are asking a judge to ‘quash’ legislative subpoenas for a forensic audit of Dominion machines! That can only mean one thing — we’re over the target, patriots. #HoldTheLine.”
Maricopa County attorneys are asking a judge to “quash” legislative subpoenas for a forensic audit of Dominion machines! That can only mean one thing—we’re over the target, patriots. #HoldTheLine
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) December 19, 2020
The party later tweeted, “We will not allow the County of Maricopa and its liberal attorneys to obstruct and prevent a forensic audit. Get tough, Republicans. The People and the Party are totally with you, we only ask that you FIGHT!”
We will not allow the County of Maricopa and its liberal attorneys to obstruct and prevent a forensic audit. Get tough, Republicans. The People and the Party are totally with you, we only ask that you FIGHT!
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) December 20, 2020
Biden currently leads Trump in Arizona by 10,457 votes.
