Arizona Dems File Last-Ditch Lawsuit to Block Maricopa County Election Audit
The motion requests a temporary restraining order
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The Arizona Democratic Party is desperately trying to stop the GOP-led state Senate audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County by filing a lawsuit.
The motion requests a temporary restraining order and argues the audit of the 2.1 million ballots and the county's voting machines are in violation of state law.
The pair of plaintiffs, which include Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, says the audit is led by partisan contractors employed by the Republican-led state Senate.
Gallardo tweeted on Thursday:
"The sole reason for this lawsuit and injunctions is to protect the sanctity of the ballots and, more importantly, to preserve voters’ privacy from a sham audit that has been corrupted by agitators and conspiracy theorists."
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Two forensic audits have already been conducted by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and showed no irregularities in the county's 2020 general election, and agreed to shared election materials with the GOP-led state Senate.
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One of the defendants in the lawsuit, Senate President Karen Fann, said the audit would be conducted independently to restore voter confidence after Trump supporters insisted the election was stolen due to widespread fraud.
The lawsuit filed by the Arizona Democratic Party and Gallardo expresses concern for ballot security and confidentiality.
Florida-based firm Cyber Ninjas is also named in the complaint.
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The company was tasked to conduct the audit as a defendant.
Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan was also reported to be a promoter of the "Stop the Steal" movement.
Gallardo tweeted the audit was being funded by "dark money influencers" who chose an "uncertified and unqualified group" for the process.
Arizona Senate Democrats released a statement after Gallardo claims:
"It’s clear that this audit is no more than a temper tantrum from those still upset that they lost the election, and it is deeply damaging to the integrity of our elections and our democracy."
In February, Maricopa County challenged the Senate GOP subpoena for election materials, but the lower-court judge upheld the subpoena.
The audit is reported to start Friday at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, and the transportation of the election materials began earlier in the week.
Arguments will be heard by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Coury.
