Arizona Senate considers contempt finding against Maricopa County supervisors for not turning over ballots, voting equipment...

Arizona Senate considers contempt finding against Maricopa County supervisors over election audit


Republicans in the Arizona Senate have escalated their ongoing fight with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over the 2020 election.

Republican lawmakers are intent on conducting their own audit of the county’s election results after Democrat Joe Biden won the county and state. They have issued subpoenas for ballots, voting equipment and more over the past two months.

But county supervisors have said state laws prevent them from providing many of the records sought in the subpoenas and they instead are conducting their own audit.

That hasn't satisfied Senate Republicans, as all 16 have sponsored a resolution calling on the Senate president to take "all legal action" to enforce the subpoenas, citing a state law that allows the sergeant at arms to arrest anyone who disobeys a legislative subpoena and bring them before the Senate.

It would be the first time in decades — if ever — that the Senate has held anyone in contempt.

Senate President Karen Fann, R-Prescott, said the chamber may vote on the measure on Monday if an agreement with the county is not reached. The Senate could then go back to court or ask the attorney general to prosecute. Disobeying a legislative subpoena is a class 2...

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