FBI Seizes 2020 Arizona Election Records Amid Fraud Claims

FBI Seizes Maricopa County Election Records

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recently seized 2020 election records from Maricopa County, Arizona. This action marks a significant development in the ongoing, though largely fruitless, investigations surrounding the 2020 presidential election, a race President Trump lost.

The seizure follows a similar incident in January, where the FBI took possession of ballots and other election-related materials from Fulton County, Georgia. Despite repeated claims by former President Donald Trump that the election was “stolen,” numerous internal and external investigations have failed to produce any credible evidence of widespread fraud or material error.

Former Election Official Calls FBI Move ‘Befuddling’

Stephen Richer, who served as the Maricopa County Recorder during the 2020 election, expressed his bewilderment at the FBI’s latest move. “It’s befuddling. I don’t know what they could possibly want,” Richer stated in a recent interview. He highlighted the extensive scrutiny the 2020 election in Maricopa County has already undergone.

“This is an election that has been investigated time and time again. It’s been investigated by the attorney general. It’s been investigated by third party auditors. It’s been investigated pursuant to court cases. And it’s been even been investigated by very sympathetic allies to Donald Trump, the cyber ninjas, a group that audited it in 2021. And none of that yielded any real evidence of material fraud or material error.”

Richer pointed out that standard election procedures have already led to the destruction of 2020 ballots in Maricopa County and the decommissioning of voting machines. These are normal post-election processes, not indicators of wrongdoing.

What Is the FBI Looking For?

The nature of the FBI’s investigation remains unclear, particularly given that the physical ballots and voting machines are no longer available. Richer explained that the FBI did not subpoena the county directly, but rather the Arizona State Senate, which retained certain digital archives from the 2021 audit conducted by a group known as the Cyber Ninjas.

These archives may include voter data, ballot images, voter registration information, and reports on ballot return times. However, Richer finds it difficult to conceive of what concrete evidence of fraud could be extracted from this data.

“I can’t conceive of what they hope to put together through this. Um, I don’t know if it’s just doing something to say you’re doing something or if they’re going to use this to concoct some wild eyed allegations. But so far, all we know is that they have that data that was left over from the cyber ninjas audit in 2021.”

Motivations Behind the Investigation

When asked whether the FBI’s actions are genuinely aimed at uncovering fraud or are intended to sow distrust in the election system ahead of the midterm elections, Richer suggested a multi-faceted motivation.

He believes the investigation is partly an effort to appease former President Trump, who has reportedly exerted significant pressure on various government agencies. Additionally, Richer posited that some individuals within the FBI or related departments might hold a genuine, albeit unfounded, belief that Trump could not have lost the 2020 election and are pursuing this line of inquiry to align themselves with the former president’s agenda.

Impact on Election Workers and Future Elections

The prolonged scrutiny and baseless allegations surrounding election integrity have had severe consequences for election workers. Richer himself faced death threats during his tenure as recorder, and similar threats have been leveled against election officials in Fulton County, Georgia.

Richer expressed concern that the FBI’s actions could further demoralize and deter individuals from working in election administration, a field already struggling with recruitment and retention. He emphasized the tangible negative impacts of political rhetoric on the administration of elections.

“And when high-profile politicians would lie about the administration of the 2020 or the 2022 election, then we would see it manifest in really ugly emails or people even showing up to our facility and in a few instances threats that were prosecuted by the former the Justice Department under the former administration in coalition with the FBI.”

He stressed that no one should face harassment or threats for their commitment to ensuring free and secure elections. The FBI’s seizure of records, occurring shortly before crucial midterm primaries, is seen as a significant distraction and a cause for concern within the election community.

Looking Ahead

As the midterm elections draw nearer, the FBI’s continued investigation into the 2020 election records raises questions about its ultimate purpose and potential impact on public confidence in the upcoming electoral processes. The actions taken by federal law enforcement, coupled with persistent claims of fraud, underscore the ongoing challenges to democratic institutions and the critical need for factual reporting and a commitment to election integrity.

Source: 'Befuddling': Fmr. Arizona election worker reacts to FBI seizing 2020 records (YouTube)