Arizona’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop the Cochise County Board of Supervisors from granting election authority to the county’s recorders. which spread suspicion about the voting system.
“The recorder illegally abused his power. and the committee has relieved its statutory obligations over the unlawful elections and almost all of them,” the indictment said.
“This agreement not only threatens the administration and conduct of legitimate elections. It could also threaten the right of Cochise County residents to know how and when their government is making decisions that consequently affect their eligibility to vote.
“In transferring all electoral duties to the recorders which are different constitutional county officials The agreement does not specify how or how the public can still have access to hearings on matters that the committee would normally consider in open meetings.”
The move comes after months of misunderstanding that began when two Republicans on the three-man committee of supervisors called the credibility of voting machines before mid-November.
They then demanded that ballots be counted illegally. And when the judge denied their request and the election went on without any problems, they repeatedly failed to certify the result until the court intervened.
Two GOP members, Tom Crosby and Peggy Judd, sued Lisa Marra, the county’s longtime election commissioner, for refusing to stick to their hand-counting scheme.
Marra prevailed in court but later resigned. Crosby and Judd then voted to consolidate all powers for the election under recorder David Stevens.
Stevens is a close friend of 2020 denialist Mark Finchem, who is running for secretary of state. That would make him the state’s top elected official. and refused to accept when he lost in November.
According to the Arizona Mirror’s Votebeat, Stevens is the director of a nonprofit organization run by Finchem, the Election Fairness Institute, that “posts false statements about elections on its website. and said it relied on researchers who became known for widely disseminating false claims about election fraud.”
AG Kris Mayes explained the decision to sue the supervisory board in a statement accompanying the complaint.
“While the counties Cochise County may enter into an appropriate co-operation agreement with the recorder to hold the election. Cochise County’s agreement exceeds the legal limit. In addition to this broad transfer of power I am deeply concerned that this move may prevent or overshadow the actions and deliberations that committees typically conduct publicly under open meeting laws,” Mayes said.
“It’s not a trivial matter to sue other government officials. But it is my duty as Attorney General to act when government officials abuse their power or act outside their scope.”
