04-21-2021, 09:13 PM
Arizona Senate Republicans are hoping to host Trump's inauguration ceremony? Big tourist bucks!
Maricopa County delivering ballots, machines to fairgrounds for audit
https://ktar.com/story/4338829/maricopa-...for-audit/
PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona’s most populous county started delivering equipment used in the November election won by President Joe Biden to the state fairgrounds on Wednesday. They plan to cart 2.1 million ballots to the site Thursday so Republicans in the state Senate who have expressed uncertainty that Biden’s victory was legitimate can recount them and audit the results.
The delivery will kick off weeks of counting by contractors hired by the Republican-controlled Senate at the rented site.
The Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors denied use of their facilities after losing a court fight set off by a Senate subpoena for the election materials. Senate Democrats oppose the effort to recount the ballots of the long ago certified election and are not participating.
Ken Bennett, a former Arizona secretary of State who is acting as GOP Senate President Karen Fann’s liaison overseeing the audit process, said security will be tight.
Related Links
Arizona Senate renting Veterans Memorial Coliseum for election audit
Maricopa County tells Arizona Senate to find own place for election audit
CEO of firm in Maricopa County ballot audit appeared to make political posts
Arizona Senate hires 4 companies to audit 2020 Maricopa County election
The operation will be live-streamed by the pro-Trump right-wing television network OANN, which helped raise some of the money used to finance the audit and recount.
The county announced it would deliver the materials over two days because of the volume involved. The Senate will use the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, former home of Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team, to hold the election equipment and recount the 2.1 million 2020 ballots.
Republican Senate President Karen Fann has hired Florida-based Cyber Ninjas — a firm led by a backer of unfounded election fraud theories — to oversee the audit, including a hand recount of ballots. The Senate is paying $150,000, and an OANN host helped raise at least another $150,000 for the effort.
Bennett said in a recent interview that he plans to ensure that the audit is as fair as possible, despite concerns that Cyber Ninjas founder Doug Logan has embraced Trump and expressed doubt that Biden won.
-
Election administration and security experts said in a letter to Fann early this month that they were “deeply disturbed” by the decision to hire Cyber Ninjas for the audit. The election was conducted securely, and the audit could undermine confidence in U.S. elections, they said.
Logan has said his personal views are irrelevant because he intends to conduct a transparent audit.
On Wednesday, Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs called the Republican effort a sham.
“Nobody should be taking this circus seriously,” Hobbs said. “That’s what it is. It’s a circus.”
Hobbs said Senate Republicans have shown they’re not interested in “real independent results” and hired a biased firm with no auditing experience that has pre-determined the outcome.
Maricopa County delivering ballots, machines to fairgrounds for audit
https://ktar.com/story/4338829/maricopa-...for-audit/
PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona’s most populous county started delivering equipment used in the November election won by President Joe Biden to the state fairgrounds on Wednesday. They plan to cart 2.1 million ballots to the site Thursday so Republicans in the state Senate who have expressed uncertainty that Biden’s victory was legitimate can recount them and audit the results.
The delivery will kick off weeks of counting by contractors hired by the Republican-controlled Senate at the rented site.
The Republican-dominated Maricopa County Board of Supervisors denied use of their facilities after losing a court fight set off by a Senate subpoena for the election materials. Senate Democrats oppose the effort to recount the ballots of the long ago certified election and are not participating.
Ken Bennett, a former Arizona secretary of State who is acting as GOP Senate President Karen Fann’s liaison overseeing the audit process, said security will be tight.
Related Links
Arizona Senate renting Veterans Memorial Coliseum for election audit
Maricopa County tells Arizona Senate to find own place for election audit
CEO of firm in Maricopa County ballot audit appeared to make political posts
Arizona Senate hires 4 companies to audit 2020 Maricopa County election
The operation will be live-streamed by the pro-Trump right-wing television network OANN, which helped raise some of the money used to finance the audit and recount.
The county announced it would deliver the materials over two days because of the volume involved. The Senate will use the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, former home of Phoenix Suns NBA basketball team, to hold the election equipment and recount the 2.1 million 2020 ballots.
Republican Senate President Karen Fann has hired Florida-based Cyber Ninjas — a firm led by a backer of unfounded election fraud theories — to oversee the audit, including a hand recount of ballots. The Senate is paying $150,000, and an OANN host helped raise at least another $150,000 for the effort.
Bennett said in a recent interview that he plans to ensure that the audit is as fair as possible, despite concerns that Cyber Ninjas founder Doug Logan has embraced Trump and expressed doubt that Biden won.
-
Election administration and security experts said in a letter to Fann early this month that they were “deeply disturbed” by the decision to hire Cyber Ninjas for the audit. The election was conducted securely, and the audit could undermine confidence in U.S. elections, they said.
Logan has said his personal views are irrelevant because he intends to conduct a transparent audit.
On Wednesday, Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs called the Republican effort a sham.
“Nobody should be taking this circus seriously,” Hobbs said. “That’s what it is. It’s a circus.”
Hobbs said Senate Republicans have shown they’re not interested in “real independent results” and hired a biased firm with no auditing experience that has pre-determined the outcome.