Arizona election audit report delayed after 3 members of Cyber Ninjas team contract COVID-19
A draft report on the election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona, which was due Monday, was delayed after members of the cyber security firm hired to conduct the audit got sick with COVID-19.
Arizona Senate President Karen Fann (R) said Monday that only "a portion of the draft report" would be delivered on time because three members of the Cyber Ninjas audit team hired by the Senate had come down with COVID-19 and are "quite sick." She even suggested that some of the auditors were hospitalized.
"Today we are receiving a portion of the draft report from the election audit analysis team," she said in a statement. "The team expected to have the full draft ready for the Senate today, but unfortunately Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan and two other members of the five-person audit team have tested positive for COVID-19 and are quite sick."
So your laughing because people are extremely ill with Covid and in the hospital ? https://t.co/ftODD6vGsF
— Karen Fann (@FannKfann) 1629760759.0
Fann also indicated that the draft report may be further delayed because the Senate only just received images of the ballot envelopes from Maricopa County last Thursday, and those images will need to be analyzed "as soon as possible to incorporate those results in the final report."
The Senate will begin reviewing a portion of the draft report on Wednesday.
The audit report is highly anticipated by former President Donald Trump and supporters who believe his claims that the 2020 election was fraudulent. Despite no irregularities found in other reviews of Maricopa County's 2020 election, they hope that yet another audit of the 2.1 million ballots cast in Maricopa County will show that President Joe Biden's 45,000 vote margin of victory there was illegitimate and serve as reason for other contested states to audit their elections.
Trump lost Arizona by roughly 10,000 votes overall.
The current audit effort has faced intense criticism from Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, as well as Republican officials in Maricopa county and independent election experts. These critics say the audit process has been too secretive and frequently point out that Cyber Ninjas has no previous election administration or auditing experience.
Last week, Hobbs, who is running for governor, released a 122-page report accusing the audit of "security lapses, delays, disorganization, and lack of transparency." She pre-emptively argued that the findings of the report, which have not yet been released, are "invalid and unreliable" and said that the auditors "demonstrated a lack of understanding of election processes and procedures at both the state and county level.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican who supported Trump in the 2020 election, separately sent an open letter to state Republicans criticizing the audit effort. Citing multiple sources, providing extensive footnotes, and painstakingly walking through the election process step by step, Richer argued that the election in Maricopa County was not stolen or rigged.
"Maricopa County has used the same tabulation vendor and ballot printer, and has had many of the same employees, for more than 20 years. This team oversaw Maricopa County's vote for Trump in 2016, for Mitt Romney in 2012, for John McCain in 2008, and for George W. Bush in 2004. It administered the election of the continued Republican control of the Arizona state legislature in 2020. Through all these elections, there had never been a report of significant tabulation problems or widespread fraud," he wrote.
"After the November 2020 election, appointees from the Republican, Democrat, and Libertarian parties worked in bipartisan groups of three to hand count more than 47,000 votes. ... Those hand-counted votes matched the machine count 100%. The County then ran another, post-election, logic and accuracy test to make sure the machines had not been disrupted in any manner during the election. The results again matched 100%.
"Finally, in February 2021, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors hired two professional elections technology companies with many years of experience in tabulation equipment to do everything needed to do. The assessment took almost three weeks. We livestreamed the entire process, and we had representatives from the Arizona House, the Arizona Senate, and the Secretary of State's Office in regular attendance. ... The auditors found no problems with the equipment, no manipulation of the software code, no malware, and no connection to the internet. Those reports are publicly available."
Once Cyber Ninjas submits the full draft report, Fann said the Senate will review it for "accuracy, clarity, and proof of documentation" before turning it over to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which will release its findings to the public.
Arizona Republicans to seek more data and materials from Maricopa County as officials slam uncertified auditors
Arizona State Senate Republicans will seek additional material and data from Maricopa County as part of a now three-month audit of the 2020 election results, Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) said Thursday.
During a hearing at the state Capitol, witnesses from Cyber Ninjas, the uncertified Florida-based cybersecurity firm contracted by Fann to conduct the outside audit, told her and Sen. Warren Petersen (R-Gilbert) they have finished auditing the 2.1 million ballots cast in the November election but need wireless routers and voting machine tokens from the county, or else their review will be "incomplete." Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan also recommended that canvassers go door to door to question some registered voters on whether they actually voted by mail, the Arizona Republic reported.
"Based on the data we're seeing, I highly recommend we do the canvassing because it's the one way to know for sure whether the data we're seeing are real problems," Logan said.
Previously, the state Senate has held off on dispatching canvassers after the U.S. Department of Justice warned that such an effort might be directed primarily at minority communities and that it could be a form of voter intimidation and violate federal civil rights laws.
If Maricopa County officials refuse to comply with the requests for additional materials, it is likely the Senate will take them to court, which could delay the publication of a final report on the audit for weeks or months. Senate Republicans already sued once for access to ballots and tabulation machines from the county and were only able to begin the audit after a judge ruled in their favor in February. Republicans argued the delay brought on by more litigation might be necessary to deliver an accurate report.
"We need to get the additional information because how do you do a final report if you don't have all the information?" Fann said.
County officials contend that they have already turned over everything a qualified auditor would need to complete an election audit and refuse to deliver further materials to auditors who are not certified by the Elections Assistance Commission.
Allegations of voting irregularities
Witness testimony on the findings from the audit raised several concerns about the integrity of the 2020 election. Logan testified alongside Ben Cotton, the founder of CyFir, a cybersecurity company that is subcontracting for the audit.
Logan claimed that nearly 4,000 Maricopa County voters who cast ballots in the presidential election registered to vote after a court-ordered deadline of Oct. 15.
"Based on the registration information that we found in the voting rolls, we have 3,981 individuals who show having voted in this election [who] were registered after Oct. 15," he said.
According to Logan, there were 11,326 individuals who did not appear on the version of the voter rolls made the day after the Nov. 6 election but did appear on voter rolls prepared on Dec. 7.
He also testified that 18,000 voters who cast ballots in November were removed from voter rolls after the election.
The auditor further alleged that 74,243 early votes were received, but "there is no clear record of them being sent." Logan emphasized that the discrepancy could be a "clerical issue" but added there is no real way to know without contacting voters directly.
"I think when we've got 74,000 it merits knocking on a door and validating some of this information," said Logan.
Officials from Maricopa County responded to several of these claims in real time on social media. The county pointed out that the 74,000 early ballots are explained by the fact that you can vote early by mail or in person at voting centers. Anyone who votes in person receives a ballot at the center, so "it's not unusual that we would have more early votes than mail-in ballots sent."
The people who vote in-person use ballots provided at a Vote Center. This is not a new practice, so it's not unusu… https://t.co/RhGiEf0cRC
— Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) 1626396261.0
Logan also raised concerns over the way ballots were printed, explaining that because voters were provided with felt-tipped markers on Election Day, there was a possibility that the ink bled through to the opposite side of the ballot, which could alter how the vote was counted. County officials have insisted that this "bleed-through" effect is of no concern because the ballots are printed in such a way that the "bubbles" were aligned. If it did happen, poll workers would easily recognize it and correct the ballot, they said.
This accuracy is verified through logic and accuracy tests, hand counts performed by the political parties, and pos… https://t.co/WfUrHYESsm
— Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) 1626396262.0
But Logan provided images that he says show that the ballots on Election Day were misaligned and that stray marks could have resulted in a ballot cast for the wrong candidate or an invalidated ballot because it appeared someone cast their vote twice. According to the Arizona Daily Star, as many as 168,000 ballots were printed and cast at voting centers on Election Day.
Concerns over security
Cotton testified that the voting machines used in Maricopa County had not received a security patch since 2019, when they were certified. He said it was "critically important" that the county turn over its routers for examination to determine what security risks were present on Election Day.
He noted that days before the election, the FBI raided a home in Fountain Hills as part of its investigation into a cyber attack on the county's voter registration system. The county had identified the attack and reported it to the authorities, but Cotton said the incident shows that at least one part of the county's election system had been "hacked."
Responding, county officials said Thursday that the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission prohibits uncertified individuals such as Cyber Ninjas and CyFir from handling certified election equipment, which is why they have refused to turn over the requested materials. The county added in a tweet that "we cannot update our systems through security patches. That is why we maintained an air gapped system. Installing security patches would be changing the system that was certified."
Finally, baseless allegations from Ben Cotton (who is not EAC certified) are ridiculous coming from the guy who fal… https://t.co/2xeUuivxLG
— Maricopa County (@maricopacounty) 1626372862.0
County officials have also previously said that turning over the information on its routers could compromise law enforcement data. If Fann presses for those materials, Maricopa County is almost sure to fight the request in court.
Republican Infighting
The controversy over Maricopa County's election results has pitted state Republican lawmakers against locally elected GOP officials in what was once a GOP stronghold.
President Joe Biden shocked Republicans by winning Maricopa County by more than 45,000 votes, narrowly defeating Donald Trump in the state of Arizona by about 10,000 votes total. Trump's insistence that the election was stolen despite multiple machine audits that verified the results has frustrated Maricopa County officials, who have defended the integrity of their election.
In a statement, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Sellers blasted the Senate audit hearing and criticized Senate Republicans for contracting auditors who were not certified by the EAC.
"It's clear the people hired by Arizona Senate leadership to supposedly bring integrity to our elections are instead just bringing incompetence," Sellers said.
He accused Logan and Cotton of asking "open-ended questions, portraying as suspicious what is actually normal and well known to people who work in elections."
"In some cases, they dropped bombshell numbers that are simply not accurate," he added.
"What we heard today represents an alternate reality that has veered out of control since the November General Election. Senate leadership should be ashamed they broadcast the half-baked theories of the 'Deep Rig' crowd to the world today," he continued.
"To Senate leaders I say, stop accusing us of not cooperating when we have given you everything qualified auditors would need to do this job. Finish your audit, release the report, and be prepared to defend it in Court."
Speaking at the hearing, Fann defended the actions of Senate Republicans from critics who say their efforts are a waste of time and are feeding conspiracy theories that the election was stolen.
"This is not about Trump. This is not about overturning the election. This has never been about anything other than election integrity," Fann insisted.
Senator Karen Fann: “This is not about Trump. This is not about overturning the election. This has never been about… https://t.co/06i188vPDW
— Agent Brandoe The PipeHitter (@BYounger13) 1626370710.0
She cited a poll that found 45% of the people in Arizona thought there were serious problems with the election and reminded critics that as elected officials, lawmakers have a duty to respond to those concerns.
"Whether that is true or not, whether they are rumors and unfounded accusations or legitimate problems, for whatever reason, as a Senate body, we felt that it was our obligation and our duty to answer," said Fann.
"Our voters are constituents. Answer those questions and either confirm what they were afraid of or thought or heard, or that we prove that those things were not true so that they could go back to the polls and they could vote with confidence knowing that their ballot is sacred."
Arizona lawmaker punches back at Merrick Garland over promise to scrutinize election audit
An Arizona lawmaker fired back at Attorney General Merrick Garland Friday after the nation's top lawyer announced plans to scrutinize post-election audits.
What is the DOJ doing?
Garland announced Friday several new initiatives under his leadership, including:
- Doubling the staff at the DOJ's Civil Rights Division
- Scrutinizing laws that Republicans say protect election integrity, but Democrats claim restrict voting rights
- Examining post-election audits
- Combatting "election disinformation"
Garland's promise to scrutinize "post-election audits to ensure they abide by federal statutory requirements to protect election records and avoid the intimidation of voters" was "a clear reference to a Republican-backed audit in Arizona," NBC News reported.
Garland said, in part:
As part of its mission to protect the right to vote, the Justice Department will, of course, do everything in its power to prevent election fraud and, if found, to vigorously prosecute it. But many of the justifications proffered in support of these post-election audits and restrictions on voting have relied on assertions of material vote fraud in the 2020 election that have been refuted by law enforcement and intelligence agencies of both this Administration and the previous one, as well as by every court — federal and state — that has considered them.
Arizona Republicans initiated an audit of 2020 presidential election ballots from Maricopa County, the most-populous county in Arizona, earlier this spring. The audit, which has yet to be completed, has been highly controversial and widely condemned by Democrats.
What was the response?
Arizona state Sen. Wendy Rogers (R), an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, had a blunt response for Garland.
"You will not touch Arizona ballots or machines unless you want to spend time in an Arizona prison. Maybe you should focus on stopping terrorism. The Justice Department is one of the most corrupt institutions in the USA," she said.
You will not touch Arizona ballots or machines unless you want to spend time in an Arizona prison. Maybe you should… https://t.co/TMDUmPcGyf
— Wendy Rogers (@WendyRogersAZ) 1623445014.0
In another tweet, Rogers said, "The free state of Arizona will not tolerate this federal meddling."
"If Attorney General Merrick Garland thinks he has a right to our ballots and machines he should go to court. If he uses force when multiple courts have already authorized this audit he will be in violation of the law," she added.
Arizona Senate GOP to conduct full hand recount, machine audit of 2020 election results in Maricopa County
Republicans in Arizona's state Senate have announced that they are set to conduct a full review of 2020 election results in Maricopa County — including a machine audit and a hand recount of all 2.1 million ballots cast there — to ensure that President Joe Biden's victory was legitimate.
In a news release posted on the group's website last Thursday, the state Senate's Republican caucus announced that it had selected a forensic team to conduct the audit and is now finalizing details on how the review would be executed.
"As thousands of our voters continue to call for a thorough audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, I am pleased to report we have narrowed it down to a preferred forensic audit team. We are negotiating final details on the execution of the audit and hope to have an announcement soon," wrote Senate President Karen Fann in the news release.
"We've been reaching out to experts on election processes in Arizona and around the nation and hope to have the best and brightest involved in the audit," she continued, noting the audit "will be broad and detailed."
She further specified that the review will include, but is not limited to, "testing the machines, scanning the ballots, performing a full hand count and checking for any IT breaches."
Republicans in the Senate had been pushing for months for a "full forensic audit" of election results in Arizona's largest county, citing concerns among citizens over the integrity of the election. On Feb. 26, the audit was greenlit after a judge granted the state Senate access to ballots and tabulation machines.
According to the Arizona Republic, the county board of supervisors had "argued the ballots were secret and the machines need to remain secure" in fighting a subpoena issued by Senate Republicans. But Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Timothy Thomason determined in his Feb. ruling that the Senate subpoenas were "legal and enforceable."
Throughout the process, Senate Republicans have insisted that a full review is necessary to restore trust in the state's election system. The Arizona Republic noted that two smaller audits of county election equipment were released last month, reportedly showing no evidence of malicious software or incorrect counting.
"When all the work is done, there will be a full report for the Senate and County to review. Our voters expect this audit, and it can be a big step in returning trust and confidence in our election process," Fann concluded.
Arizona GOP lawmaker to subpoena Dominion machines for forensic audit
Republican Arizona state Sen. Eddie Farnsworth said on Monday that he would issue subpoenas to forensically audit the Dominion Voting Systems machines used in Maricopa County during the 2020 election.
What are the details?
According to KJZZ-TV, Farnsworth argued that enough questions have been raised about the accuracy and security of the machines to justify the action, especially since Democratic candidate Joe Biden only narrowly defeated President Donald Trump by roughly 11,000 votes in the state.
The lawmaker's announcement followed more than six hours of testimony on Monday in the Arizona Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Farnsworth is the chairman. During the hearing, Republican state senators grilled Maricopa County elections director Scott Jarrett over the reliability of the results.
The move came even as electors across the country, including those from Arizona, cast their votes for Biden, making him the president-elect.
"There is evidence of tampering, there is evidence of fraud," Farnsworth said in announcing the action, according to the Arizona Mirror, adding that a forensic audit could help restore confidence that the election was fair and legal.
He argued the audit is a necessary action to address concerns "and try and see if we can reinsert some confidence in our election process."
"We hold an audit and we see what the outcome is," he said. "And then we can put this to rest."
Farnsworth also said he got the impression from county officials that the very notion of fraud was something they were not interested in considering.
"I do have a concern that the county is taking the position that it just can't happen," he said. "There is a litany of white-collar crimes, digital crimes in the history of this country and this world of some very sophisticated people and the victims didn't recognize it until some future time. I think it's really, really dangerous for us to say, 'It can't happen.'"
Anything else?
A similar forensic audit of Dominion machines was conducted last week by Trump allies in Antrim County, Michigan — where 6,000 votes had been incorrectly flipped from Trump to Biden before the error was caught and corrected.
On Monday, a judge ordered that the results of the audit be released. In the report, Russell Ramsland of Allied Security Operations Group, the cyber firm that conducted the audit under supervision by county officials, claimed the equipment "is intentionally and purposefully designed with inherent errors to create systemic fraud and influence election results."
That conclusion has been disputed by state and company officials.
www.theblaze.com