The Independent View: AZ Judge Orders Pause in Republican-backed Recount of Ballots Cast in 2020 Maricopa County

An Arizona Judge, on Friday, Ordered a Temporary Pause, in an Extensive Effort to Recount Ballots from the 2020 November Election, hours after the Process began, citing Concerns about whether a Private Vendor hired to Review nearly 2.1 Million Ballots, cast in the State’s largest County, is Complying with State Laws governing Election Security.

The Recount of the Ballots, from Maricopa County, is being Conducted by Republicans in the State Senate, to Examine Unsubstantiated Claims that Fraud or Errors tainted President Biden’s Win.

Election Officials and the Courts have Found No Merit to such Allegations, and the GOP-led County Board of Supervisors has Objected to the Recount.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge, Christopher Coury, Paused the Audit beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, until Monday at Noon, in response to a Suit filed by the State Democratic Party and the County’s only Democratic Supervisor, who Argued that the Audit Violates Arizona Rules governing the Confidentiality and Security of Ballots and Voting Equipment.

“The lack of transparency around this ‘audit’ is astounding and we will not stand idly by as Senate President [Karen] Fann opens up our secure election to unqualified and completely unhinged actors who believe the ‘big lie,’ ” Raquel Terán, Chairwoman of the State Democratic Party, said in a statement before the Ruling. “This has gone far enough and we are hopeful that the courts will put an end to this embarrassing and dangerous circus.”

Earlier this week, Senate Republicans exercised a Subpoena to move Voting Equipment and Ballots from County Ttorage to the Floor of the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where they have said a Team of Private Companies will spend the next Four Weeks conducting a Hand Recount of Ballots and a Forensic Audit of Voting Machines.

Senate Leaders have said the Process is intended only to Explore ways to Improve the State’s Elections, rather than to Cast Doubt on Biden’s 10,457-Vote Victory over Trump. But the Recount has come under Sharp Criticism from Election Observers, Voting Rights Advocates, and Democrats, who have said it Lacks Independent Oversight and could be used to further Baseless Claims about the 2020 Election.

So, GOP Senators have handed over Management and Funding of the Quasi-Public Process to a pPivate Cybersecurity Firm from Florida called Cyber Ninjas, whose Chief Executive has echoed False Claims about Rraud in the Election. And Allies of Trump have Not been shy about their hope that the Audit will turn up New Ammunition they can use to Attack the Results of Last Fall’s Vote. “I believe that a proper audit will show that the election results were fraudulent,” lawyer Lin Wood, who filed a number of unsuccessful legal challenges to the November election, said in an interview Friday. “I think that’s in the best interest of our nation and will hopefully lead to other states also doing proper audits.”

A Cybersecurity Expert, who promoted Claims of Fraud in the 2020 Election is Leading the GOP-backed Recount. in Court Friday, Kory Langhofer, a Lawyer for the Senate President, said Arizona’s Constitution gives lawmakers Immunity from Civil Litigation during the State’s Legislative Session, which is now underway. He added that the Democratic Party does Not have Standing to ask a Judge to Dictate to the Legislature how it should Conduct an Investigation. And he said that the Audit will Comply with Arizona Laws governing Ballot Security.

Judge Coury, required that the State Senate and Cyber Ninjas file written Documentation of the Procedures being followed during the Audit so he can Review them for Compliance with State Law. And he Ordered that Audit Workers Comply with All Relevant Laws, including that they use Only Red Ink. He said the Pause would only go into Effect if the Democratic Party Posted a $1 Million Bond to Compensate Cyber Ninjas, should the Audit ultimately be Allowed to move ahead and the Company has to Hire Additional Staff to make up time.

Biden’s Win in Maricopa County was previously Confirmed through a Number of Recounts, including a Hand Recount of a Sample of Ballots Conducted jointly by both Political Parties, as well as a Forensic Audit conducted by Federally Accredited Labs that was Ordered by the County and Concluded in February 2021. The Results were Certified by a Unanimous Vote of the Five-Member County Board of Supervisors, which includes Four Republicans. Gov. Doug Ducey (R) has said he Believes the State’s November Election was a Model of Integrity.

Nearly 2.1 Million Ballots cast in Maricopa County in November’s Election, remain Packed-Up at a Facility in Phoenix, ready to be handed over for a Recount. Ballots will be handled by Employees of a Subcontractor, a Pennsylvania-based Company called Wake Technology Services, which he said has drawn from a Pool of Retirees to Perform the Recount. Volunteer Observers had also been Recruited to Monitor the Process. As of last week, about 70% of those who Offered to Assist were Republicans.