Last Friday, Maricopa County settled with the State Senate on both side’s election demands, with the Senate apparently compromising on nothing per the agreement. The county will hand over the remaining election materials subpoenaed by the Senate: routers, splunk logs, and digital images of ballot envelopes. They will also drop their demand that the legislature pay $2.8 million to replace the voting machines. Secretary of State Katie Hobbs – who told the county that she would likely decertify any election results that come from the audited machines – has yet to issue a statement on the settlement.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors convened on Friday to discuss this settlement. They ultimately decided that the election routers, splunk logs, and ballot envelopes weren’t worth $700 million in lost funds. In fact, the board decided securing those funds was worth an additional expenditure. The county will pay for a “Special Master”: an official to oversee acquisition of the routers and splunk logs. Former Republican Congressman John Shadegg will serve that role.
Senate Republicans tweeted the news in a statement from President Karen Fann (R-Prescott). Fann clarified that experts were sure that the audited election equipment wasn’t compromised, as the county had claimed.
“The Senate will finally get the answers to questions asked for in the subpoenas issued to the County months ago,” stated Fann. “I look forward to getting our final questions answered and wrapping up the review of the election in Maricopa County.”
Shortly after, Fann released a more personalized statement of her own. She responded to critics and skeptics with clarification that the Senate hadn’t lost out on anything they were desiring.
“HUGE win for the Az Senate today! Maricopa settlement gives us all the data needed to complete the review of the routers & splunk log to the most comprehensive election audit in history,” stated Fann. “We got everything we need and more. Maricopa County goes home with its tail between its legs.”
Maricopa County officials spun a different narrative in their announcement of the settlement. The county neglected to clarify that they were still turning over the subpoenaed election materials to the Senate for inspection. Instead, they emphasized that the auditing company, Cyber Ninjas, wouldn’t be given access to those materials.
“NEW: Board votes to approve an agreement with the AZ Senate that keeps county routers & other sensitive materials out of the hands of Cyber Ninjas. The agreement also protects taxpayers and ends a legal dispute over the Senate’s ongoing election review,” stated the county. “Per Chairman @jacksellers: ‘The Cyber Ninjas will never be able to touch the routers or access our data. An independent third party can confirm what we’ve always said: the election equipment was not connected to the internet and no vote switching occurred. And our residents, law enforcement, and courts can all rest assured that their data and equipment are protected.’ The agreement with the Senate comes with a provision that the Senate President write a letter to the Attorney General stating the County has now fully complied with the Senate’s outstanding subpoenas and that further action is not warranted.”
Cyber Ninjas’s report on Maricopa County’s 2020 election will be released on Friday. Since Cyber Ninjas isn’t privy to the election materials obtained from the Maricopa County-Senate settlement, information from those materials won’t be included.
Last month, Hobbs published a full report of the audit, asserting that Cyber Ninjas’ work was more of a partisan review than a credible audit.
Remdesivir: the only FDA-approved treatment for COVID-19. It’s an antiviral drug that the federal government touts as an effective and safe treatment for COVID-19 hospitalizations. However, the opposite may be proving true.
Despite governmental reassurances of remdesivir’s safety and efficacy, there continue to be reports and studies that indicate otherwise.
Remdesivir’s origins:
The FDA granted full approval to remdesivir – or, Veklury – on October 22, 2020. It wasn’t a new drug developed for this virus. Remdesivir was developed years earlier in 2009 by Gilead Sciences to fight hepatitis C and respiratory syncytial virus. At that point, remdesivir was known as Adenine C-Nucleoside, or GS-5734.
In 2014, remdesivir was given another opportunity to be deployed with the 2013 to 2016 West African Ebola virus. They received backing from the U.S. government for this effort. Before remdesivir could be implemented widely, the Ebola outbreak had subsided. Then the drug received another opportunity to treat Ebola in a 2018 outbreak. However, remdesivir failed to improve survival rates. Instead, a different treatment with a familiar name increased survival rates – monoclonal antibody therapies.
Over the past four years, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded Gilead Sciences just under $6 million in research grants for remdesivir. These grants were for researching its efficacy against MERS-CoV and any emerging coronaviruses.
It was after remdesivir’s failure to make a significant impact in the last Ebola outbreak in 2018 that Gilead Sciences looked to repurpose the drug. When the COVID-19 outbreak occurred, that became another opportunity for the experimental antiviral drug.
Since remdesivir had around a decade of research and trials behind it, Gilead Sciences was able to quickly submit its preclinical data and initiate further clinical trials to obtain an emergency use authorization (EUA) in May of 2020.
With nearly a year of full FDA approval, there exists more data and research on remdesivir.
More FAERS deaths than hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin:
The FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) reports that remdesivir has caused nearly 1,500 deaths from 2020 to present. A total of nearly 6,000 cases, over 4,500 of them considered “serious.”
By comparison, hydroxychloroquine has just over 1,100 deaths, with over 14,150 cases from 2020 to present; just over 13,500 cases were considered serious.
Ivermectin had the lowest FAERS reports: under 30 deaths last year and this year, with nearly 430 cases and under 200 of those considered serious.
FAERS only has data for remdesivir from 2020 to 2021, when it was first used as a therapeutic treatment for COVID-19. In contrast, FAERS has tracked hydroxychloroquine for 35 years, and ivermectin 25 years – neither are FDA-approved as a treatment for COVID-19.
The current narrative around ivermectin paints the antiviral as ineffective at best and deadly at worst (in the case of overdosing or taking the version designed as a horse dewormer). Thursday, Banner Hospital told news outlets that they were experiencing heightened cases of ivermectin poisoning. They reiterated that ivermectin wasn’t FDA-approved and shouldn’t be used to treat COVID-19.
“Ivermectin is not an FDA-approved treatment for COVID. Clinical trials are ongoing to assess ivermectin for COVID, but no clear findings have been released that confirm this drug as a safe or effective form of treatment for COVID. For this reason, it is not currently a drug that Banner hospitals or providers will prescribe,” stated Banner Hospital.
Yet, doctors are still prescribing ivermectin – along with other non-FDA-approved treatments like hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and monoclonal antibodies.
A higher cost and financial incentive:
Whereas both hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin are available in generic brands over the counter for low prices (as low as under $20 for the former and under $30 for the latter, according to the latest deals we could find around press time), remdesivir doesn’t have a generic alternative and is only available to hospitalized patients.
Remdesivir costs $520 a vial, or $3,120 for a patient with private health insurance undergoing the typical six-vial treatment course. For 2020, Gilead Science reported around $24.35 billion in sales.
By comparison, the EUA-only monoclonal antibodies from Regeneron (REGEN-COV, a combination of casirivimab and imdevimab) cost less: around $2,100 per dose. The federal government covers that cost. Any costs to the patient would have to do with administration of the treatment; those costs can vary per health insurance.
Hospitals have a financial incentive if they administer remdesivir. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) gives hospitals a New COVID-19 Treatments Add-On Payment (NCTAP), a 20 percent bonus for any remdesivir treatments.
Mixed results on efficacy and safety:
Research on remdesivir’s efficacy and safety have arrived at mixed conclusions.
Some studies cast doubt on its safety, citing findings of adverse effects including respiratory and organ failure, low potassium, low red blood and platelet cell counts, gastrointestinal distress, low blood pressure, nausea, and vomiting. A pervasive concern has focused on remdesivir’s connection to kidney failure in COVID-19 patients.
Johns Hopkins Medicine speculated last May that COVID-19 itself might be the culprit for kidney damage or failure. That was published several weeks after remdesivir received its emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA.
In July, a study found that veterans who received remdesivir experienced longer hospital stays than those who didn’t. They also found no difference in mortality rates between those who received remdesivir and those who didn’t.
Some research abroad has concurred with these findings. A German study released last month stated that they weren’t confident in remdesivir’s ability to reduce or prevent intubation or mortalities.
In February and April studies, French researchers reported a correlation between remdesivir and kidney failure. A January review of remdesivir published by the American Society of Nephrology suggested that remdesivir not be administered to COVID-19 patients due to the kidney failure that occurred in animal testing.
And then there are the anecdotal reports of remdesivir’s impact. State Senator Kelly Townsend (R-Mesa), reported that two law enforcement officers were denied their choice of treatment – either ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine – and were instead given remdesivir. Shortly after, Townsend said that the two officers died due to kidney failure.
“I have asked @dougducey’s office for consideration re people’s right to try Ivermectin or HCQ [hydroxychloroquine] but are being denied while in hospital. A healthy border patrol agent just died who was denied access to potentially life-saving treatment & now a retired female Tucson police officer. She is on a ventilator,” wrote Townsend. “Both given Remdisivir, both have/had kidney failure. This denial of meds is criminal.”
Other studies say that the remdesivir may be more helpful than harmful, or that its benefits outweigh the risks.
Last October, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) launched an investigation into the potential link between remdesivir and acute kidney failure. After several months of research, they concluded that remdesivir wasn’t connected to kidney failure in COVID-19 patients.
The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Network sought to reconcile the conflicting reports of remdesivir being both useful and ineffective, in a report issued in July. They determined that those receiving remdesivir in real-world hospital settings were more likely to be more severely ill than those who received it in a randomized, controlled hospital study.
Remdesivir’s drug information sheet doesn’t mention kidney damage or failure as one of the adverse reactions discovered in their trials.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
An audit report found Wickenburg Unified School District’s (WUSD) former director of operations, William Moran, had engaged in illicit contract dealings for several years. These findings were presented to the State Grand Jury earlier this week; as a result, Moran has been indicted for four felony counts of fraud, forgery, and conflict of interest.
From 2017 to 2018, Moran allegedly benefitted from a near-$100,000 contract with a vendor that provided WUSD with construction services. He received approximately 500 to 700 truckloads of dirt worth $50,000 to $70,000, and a $2,000 discount on $7,000 dirt compacting services.
The truckloads of dirt were delivered and compacted in 2017 at a personal lot that Moran owned. Moran then built a home on the lot spanning over 2,000 square feet, which he sold around two years later for $445,000.
It appears that this house flip presented itself as a lucrative opportunity, especially after his resignation from WUSD in light of allegations of misconduct. Moran currently identifies himself as a self-employed home salesman. As of press time, his LinkedIn bio says that he finished construction on at least two other homes since leaving WUSD, finished another home lot in April, and has had at least three other lots opened up since May.
Additionally, the audit report revealed that Moran allegedly leveraged his position as director of operations to grant the WUSD vendor $30,000 and in return, accept an IOU worth $25,000. The audit speculated that the $5,000 difference had to do with the dirt compacting services.
Moran was also suspected of creating at least two false price quotes for construction services. The audit was unable to determine if Moran had a relationship with either of the vendors related to these false quotes.
The audit report determined that WUSD had failed to provide “adequate oversight” to Moran’s work. However, it did commend the district for taking immediate action after receiving their first complaint that Moran was possibly engaging in illicit conduct. Additionally, the audit commended the district for increasing oversight on construction vendor contracts under $100,000, as well as preventing conflict-of-interest issues.
Prior to resigning over an alleged fake bid in 2018, Moran had worked as director of operations for 5 years, and with WUSD for over 30 years.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
The results of the Arizona Senate’s audit of Maricopa County’s 2020 election results are expected to be released next Friday at 1 pm, according to State Senate Attorney Kory Langhofer. Audit results will include a hand count total of the ballots, a machine count total of ballots to compare the auditing company’s totals against the state’s, and complete analysis of mail-in ballot signatures.
State senators will be the first to lay their eyes on the audit findings prior to a public presentation. The auditing company, Cyber Ninjas, will privately present their findings to Senate President Karen Fann (R-Prescott) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Warren Peterson (R-Gilbert). Once the other senators have reviewed the report, the judiciary committee will convene formally in a meeting open to the public to discuss the report.
As of press time, neither Fann or the Arizona Republican Party have issued an official statement about this new date for the audit results.
Langhofer revealed the new release date during a hearing on Thursday before Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Kemp. The hearing was part of an ongoing lawsuit against the Senate, American Oversight v. Fann, et al., to obtain all communications and documents from Cyber Ninjas. Kemp also ordered Cyber Ninjas and the Senate to produce these records in another lawsuit, Phoenix Newspapers, Inc., v. Arizona State Senate.
Kemp originally ordered Cyber Ninjas to produce the requested records by August 31. However, Kemp granted them more time to turn over the thousands of records following their request.
Cyber Ninjas has faced several delays throughout this audit, which began in April. Most recently, progress halted after their entire team was reportedly infected by COVID-19. The company has also been waiting for Maricopa County election officials to comply with outstanding subpoenas for routers and passwords connected to the voting machines. If the county doesn’t comply by September 27, the state will withhold around $700 million in funding obtained from sales tax revenue.
Those missing items will not be part of this latest report.
Maricopa County argued that they didn’t have to comply with the Senate’s request because the legislative session ended in July. Attorney General Mark Brnovich disagreed. He determined that if the county didn’t comply by the deadline, they would lose out on their millions.
With just one week left before their deadline, the county’s board of supervisors decided to convene to discuss whether they will comply with the Senate’s subpoena. The meeting will take place on Friday.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Pima County is backing an event celebrating illegal immigrants and advocating to equip them with taxpayer-funded legal defense. Pima County Attorney’s Office has sponsored the event, as well as Pima County Board of Supervisor Adelita Grijalva’s special staff assistant, Marjava Ramirez, while Tucson Mayor Regina Romero announced her support for the event on Thursday. In addition to their sponsorship, the county attorney’s office will offer information about marijuana expungement and gun locks at the event.
The “We Are Home Celebration” will begin with several hours of voter outreach for a ballot initiative to allow illegal immigrants access to public defenders for their deportation cases, also known as “universal representation”. This portion of the event will be led by PIMA County Justice For All – Justicia Para Todos. They need at least 75,000 signatures by next summer to appear on the 2022 ballot. Currently, they have around 6,000 signatures.
According to campaign manager for the ballot initiative, Martha Reyes, illegal immigrants often lack the funds for adequate representation, raising the likelihood of their deportation.
“We want to establish a legal office for undocumented folks in deportation proceedings. These are typically poor people who don’t have money to get a lawyer,” Reyes said. “They’re people who have been here for years, and the only thing they want is a better life and a better future for their kids. A simple [traffic] stop can change their whole lives.”
The ballot initiative has attracted the attention of some of Hollywood’s elite. Last month, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the director made famous by his Broadway hit, “Hamilton,” donated $25,000 to the ballot initiative.
Other sponsors for the event include Mi Familia Vota, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona, Tucson Jobs with Justice, LUCHA – Living United for Change in Arizona, Arizona Center for Empowerment, International Painters Union Local 86, Corazon Arizona, AzCOSH, Moms Clean Air Force, Arizona Dream Act Coalition ADAC, Care in Action US, Jahmar International, and Healthcare Rising Arizona.
In addition to Romero, several other elected officials and tribal leaders have also endorsed the initiative. Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-03) and Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ-02); State Representative Andres Cano (D-Tucson); Tucson City Councilmembers Lane Santa Cruz, Paul Cunningham, Paul Durham, and Richard Fimbres; Pima County Supervisor and Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Board Member Sadie Shaw; Pascua Yaqui Tribe Chairman Robert Valencia; and Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris.
The government-backed event will take place Saturday at Mission Manor Park, from 9 am to 3 pm. The event will also offer free COVID-19 vaccinations and immigration services.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com
