For Immediate Release
February 27, 2021
TEMPE – Representative Athena Salman, Ranking Member on the House Government and Elections Committee, is gravely concerned with the ruling in Maricopa County v. Karen Fann and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors' decision to not appeal.
“Yesterday’s decision by the Superior Court to allow politicians with the intent of overthrowing a free and fair election to gain access to every ballot cast in Maricopa County as well as the elections equipment should send shockwaves throughout our entire nation,” Salman said. “Ballot secrecy is sacred to our democracy, yet Judge Thomason provided no safeguards or limitations on the scope of the state senate’s subpoenas. This means that the senate may look at the entirety of every single ballot cast, every ballot envelope, coordinate their inspection with losing candidates, hire auditors who may be actively pushing misinformation, and dismantle elections equipment with no independent or credible oversight.”
Salman added, “These subpoenas were approved despite no credible evidence that any irregularities occurred in the 2020 elections. They are instead part of a national coordinated effort designed to undermine our democracy up to and including an attempted insurrection on January 6. That is the new standard in Arizona— no standard at all. We should all be alarmed at the precedent now set, which could lead to nefarious politicians issuing new subpoenas in the next governor’s race, U.S. Senate race, and even in their very own legislative races if they were to lose.
“I applaud Supervisor Steve Gallardo for being the lone voice on the Maricopa Board of Supervisors advocating for an appeal of this dangerous court decision. This would have been the right course of action by the Board, but unfortunately Supervisor Gallardo was outnumbered. I join the many voices who condemn this court opinion and the failure by the Board to continue defending the 2.1 million voters in Maricopa County.”
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