Maricopa County is facing serious allegations regarding the potential destruction of important election-related emails. Newly elected Republican County Recorder Justin Heap flagged the issue in a letter to County Manager Jen Pokorski. Heap claims the Enterprise Technology and Innovation (ETI) department is planning to delete archived emails that are vital for ongoing public records requests and may prove crucial in upcoming investigations.
Heap argues that deleting these emails would violate Arizona law concerning record retention. He asserts that they hold historical significance and should be preserved for transparency. In light of investigations by federal officials, Heap insists these documents must be maintained. Local activist Merissa Hamilton remarked on the situation, calling it “suspect,” given the renewed scrutiny from Trump Administration officials concerning the 2020 election and complaints surrounding the 2022 election.
The elections in Maricopa County have seen heightened scrutiny since 2020, particularly when numerous voting machines reportedly failed on election day in 2022. This incident raised alarm bells for candidates like Kari Lake and Abe Hamadeh, who asserted that their chances were sabotaged. The Gateway Pundit highlighted that Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced an investigation from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division into alleged violations, hinting at a more profound examination of Arizona’s electoral procedures.
Abe Hamadeh, who lost his 2022 election bid by a mere 280 votes, has previously met with FBI Director Kash Patel to discuss the election. “I’m still seeking justice,” Hamadeh stated, hinting that more revelations are forthcoming. He has alerted the Department of Justice about suspicious activity reportedly connected to the ballot printing firm Runbeck Election Services, which allegedly mishandled ballots during the vote-counting process.
Runbeck, a private entity, has faced accusations of mixing blank ballots with counted mail-in ballots, raising questions about oversight and chain of custody. These issues are compounded by findings from Tulsi Gabbard, who indicated that documents detailing corruption in the 2020 elections were discovered in obscure places, further muddying the waters surrounding these allegations.
The prospect of these emails containing evidence of collusion between Maricopa County officials and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is concerning. Claims suggest there was a concerted effort to censor those challenging election outcomes, including reports from The Gateway Pundit.
Add to this turmoil an ongoing conflict between the Recorder’s office and the Board of Supervisors. Heap accuses former Recorder Stephen Richer and Maricopa County Chairman Thomas Galvin of entering into a “collusive” agreement to strip him of election oversight duties. Heap described this arrangement as a deliberate act to hinder efforts to rectify the county’s election issues. “It was designed to do only one thing: keep me from fixing Maricopa County’s elections,” Heap asserted.
As tensions mount, Nate Young, the head of Maricopa County’s IT department, reportedly dismissed Heap’s request to retain records as “ridiculous,” which only heightens skepticism about their motives. Hamilton highlighted concerns about the refusal to grant access to the current County Recorder, noting, “they’re now denying access to the current Maricopa County Recorder—raising serious questions about what they’re trying to conceal.”
The situation remains fluid. As investigations continue and public scrutiny intensifies, the eyes of many are on Maricopa County to see how these events unfold. The Gateway Pundit commits to providing ongoing updates as more information surfaces in this unfolding story.
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