(Headline USA) The ongoing election audit in Arizona has drawn national attention and a series of legal maneuvers, but now Arizona lawmakers may drop the hammer on county officials.
Arizona lawmakers threatened to subpoena for certain routers containing key voting information if county officials refuse to hand them over.
So far, they have delayed surrendering the routers.
Lawmakers said the subpoenas would be sent out Monday if their request was not answered.
SHOWDOWN In Friday AM email, Arizona Senate GOP lawyer threatens to haul all 5 Maricopa County supervisors & elections director into Senate for sworn testimony on why they won’t hand over network routers and certain computer passwords (county says it doesn’t have). pic.twitter.com/ZWMDhmlBgp
— Brahm Resnik (@brahmresnik) May 8, 2021
Arizona’s Senate, which has a Republican majority, called for an audit of the state’s over 2 million votes after questions surrounding voter fraud and mail-in ballots in the November election.
Arizona’s swing state status made the state’s electoral college votes crucial in the 2020 presidential election.
Maricopa County’s Democratic Sheriff Paul Penzone pushed back against the state lawmakers, saying that handing the routers over would “jeopardize” law enforcement’s mission on the case.
“The Senate Republican Caucus’ audit of the Maricopa County votes from last November’s election has no stopping point,” Penzone said. “Now, its most recent demands jeopardize the entire mission of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.”
He also said handing over the routers would hinder his efforts “to protect critical evidence, data shared between law enforcement agencies, protected private information and individual passwords, all of which could be used to the detriment of citizens and law enforcement infrastructure.”
Sheriff Penzone’s statement on the Senate Republican Caucus’ audit pic.twitter.com/caqtb9o0VK
— Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (@mcsoaz) May 7, 2021
Republicans argue that Democrats in the state are stalling and that they deserve answers.
Federal govt has no authority to interfere in America’s Audit. DOJ interference has nothing to do with violations of minority rights, lack of security and everything to do with Democrat abuse of power and govt intrusion in Arizona elections. #AmericasAudit pic.twitter.com/LGUlOYNs8p
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) May 7, 2021
