by Matthew Holloway | Mar 2, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Wednesday to allocate up to $480k to perform an election audit in cooperation with the Maricopa County Elections Department and the County Recorder’s Office.
According to Maricopa County, the board has approved funding for two distinct independent reviews to be conducted on the technology employed by election officials as well as a comprehensive review of election processes. VoteBeat reporter Jen Fifield revealed in a post to X that the cost breakdown will be $80k for the technology review and $400k to review election processes to be conducted by outside firms through the normal Request for Proposal Process.
The Board of Supervisors’ website for the review detailed that the technology review will “make sure election equipment was not tampered with during the 2024 election cycle and cannot connect to the internet. The last in-depth review of our tabulation equipment was completed in 2021, and the County has replaced and upgraded many components of our tabulation equipment.”
Regarding the process review, investigators will “include extensive research about key aspects of the election process, especially those that seem to prompt confusion or concern, including: Physical Security, Chain of custody, Tabulation.”
The board noted that “The process will be overseen by the Maricopa County Internal Audit Department and will be free of Board and staff influence.”
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Thomas Galvin said in a statement, “In my Chairman’s speech, I promised an independent review of Maricopa County election processes and procedures. That work starts today with Board approval of funding to our Internal Audit Department for a comprehensive review on key aspects of election administration in Maricopa County. We want to continue expanding transparency with the public and make adjustments where they are necessary. We welcome the opportunity to improve! I believe this comprehensive review, coupled with action from the state legislature to reform outdated laws, will give voters more confidence and ultimately strengthen American democracy.”
He posted to X, “The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to hire an independent 3rd party to review our elections procedures & identify areas to improve. I’m proud to work with colleagues who are committed to operational excellence”
In a press release, Vice Chair Kate Brophy McGee, District 3, said, ““We are united in our belief that Maricopa County administers free and fair elections. However, I believe this comprehensive review will give voters more confidence and ultimately strengthen American democracy.”
Emphasizing the need for an audit by outside firms, Supervisor Mark Stewart, District 1, said in a statement, “Maricopa County deserves best-in-class elections. Today, a united Board took action to invest in a comprehensive, independent review of election processes and procedures because we recognize the value of outside expertise.”
“I hear it every day from friends and neighbors—they want a government that operates in plain view, that’s accountable to the people, and that jumps at the opportunity to get better. That’s what this comprehensive review is about, and I’m excited that we are moving forward with it on behalf of voters.”
According to the release, the board will release the findings generated by the auditors hired “in a public setting, without edits, revisions or changes,” with the board stating, “The auditors’ work will be theirs and theirs alone.”
In later posts to X, responding to reports from AZCentral, Galvin openly criticized the 2022 Election Audit conducted by the firm Cyber Ninjas, commissioned by the Arizona Senate. He said, “I’m very proud of the fact that we’re going to allow a third party to come in and show us where we can do better. But when we emerge out of that, you’re going to see a stronger, more robust board … advocate for much needed election reforms at the state level.”
“I actually think the timing is perfect. …we’re not defensive and that we’re open to new ideas,” he added. “This is how you do it — not the way the Cyber Ninjas audit was done. So, frankly, I want to show that this is the right way to do it.”
Following the unanimous vote, the meeting of the Board of Supervisors ended abruptly after four of the 19 registered public commenters spoke. Galvin cited “too much yelling” for the reason of the abrupt ending. The discord centered around the ongoing disagreement between Galvin and Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap regarding an agreement between former Recorder Stephen Richer and the outgoing Board of Supervisors, which set the election areas of responsibility for each office.
Merissa Hamilton of Strong Communities Action/EZAZ.org stated that Supervisors Stewart and Lesko remained to engage with the public following adjournment.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Mar 2, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Last week, Governor Katie Hobbs announced her signing of Executive Order 2025-01 to direct the creation of Operation Desert Guardian, a joint task force of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. The response from the GOP-led legislature showed frustration with the Governor’s move.
According to the Governor’s Office, the order is an effort to “expand border security operations in Arizona’s four border counties.” It also indicated that the operation will seek partnership with “local law enforcement, sheriffs, and the federal government to disrupt Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) operations within Yuma, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Cochise counties.”
Hobbs said in a statement, “I’m proud to launch Operation Desert Guardian to combat the cartels, stop drug smuggling and human trafficking, and secure Arizona’s border.”
“My administration has been in contact with the federal government and local sheriffs about the Operation, its critical objectives, and our shared commitment to keeping criminals and drugs out of Arizona’s communities. I have worked productively with the federal government on Task Force SAFE and partnered with local law enforcement to deliver critical border security support, and I look forward to continued partnership on our shared border security priorities. With Operation Desert Guardian, I’m confident we can take an important next step in our ongoing work to secure the border.” According to the Governor’s Office, the objectives of the order include:
- Identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities along our 370-mile southern border, and
- Combating border-related crimes perpetrated by TCOs by dismantling their supply chains and operating networks.
Arizona House Speaker Steve Montenegro reflected great skepticism of Hobbs’ sincerity and the lateness of her apparent concern for the border. In a statement to AZ Free News, Montenegro said:
“Too little, too late. For years, Governor Hobbs has refused to take meaningful action while Arizonans have paid the price. The border crisis has spiraled out of control under her watch, forcing the legislature to step up where she has failed. Republicans led the charge to pass critical fentanyl crime legislation and put a measure before voters—who overwhelmingly supported making it a state crime to cross the border illegally.
Montenegro added, “Now, with the crisis at a breaking point, the Governor is scrambling to look tough on border security. While I hope this effort delivers real results, it’s clear who has been leading on this issue all along—and it’s not Katie Hobbs.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Feb 28, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Rep. David Livingston, Chairman of the Arizona House Appropriations Committee, issued a letter to Governor Katie Hobbs this week calling on her to publicly acknowledge her responsibility for a $122 million shortfall in the Arizona State Developmental Disabilities (DDD) program and work with the Republican-controlled legislature to correct the problem. Livingston noted that “Despite repeated requests for meaningful discussions, the Governor and her staff have refused to engage.”
Hobbs has faced sustained criticism from Livingston, the Goldwater Institute, and Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee who described the situation as “unfortunate gross financial mismanagement by the Hobbs Administration.”
In his letter to Hobbs, Livingston wrote, “For the past seven weeks, I have held seven Appropriations Committee hearings, laying out in clear detail how your administration’s budget mismanagement is creating serious financial risks for the state. At every turn, I have asked for serious, responsible discussions to address this situation, yet your office continues to say you ‘aren’t ready.’ Meanwhile, rather than engaging with the Legislature in good faith, you and your staff have chosen to issue public statements, assign blame, and demand more taxpayer dollars—without addressing the broken system that led us here. Here’s the reality:
- The $122 million shortfall in the Developmental Disabilities (DDD) program stems entirely from unilateral decisions made by your administration. The Legislature was never consulted before these funds were spent, yet now taxpayers are being asked to cover the consequences.
- Last week, Democrats attempted to force through $122 million in additional spending without any structural reforms or accountability measures—a short-term band-aid that does nothing to prevent future financial shortfalls. Republicans rejected this reckless approach because real solutions require responsible budgeting, not knee-jerk political stunts.
- Your budget proposal is grossly unbalanced, leaving out over $800 million in expenses. Yet, your office suggested to reporters that lawmakers should simply “pass it” and trust the same administration that created this crisis to handle the details. That is not how responsible government works.”
Livingston emphasized that while Hobbs has opted “instead for public statements and political posturing,” Arizona families have suffered the consequences and “remain uncertain about critical services.”
In his letter, he implored the Governor, “You have a choice: You can work with us to fix this problem responsibly, or you can continue making public statements while Arizona families and service providers face uncertainty.” He added, “What we need is real accountability, long-term planning, and meaningful reforms to ensure this program is funded properly—not just for today, but for the future.”
The Appropriations Chairman closed his letter on an affirmation that “The Republican Majority in the House and Senate is committed to responsible budgeting and ensuring that Arizona families have the services they need—without reckless overspending.” He offered Hobbs a final recommendation: “It is time for you to step up, take responsibility, and come to the table.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Feb 28, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
A series of posts to X on Tuesday sparked a firestorm of controversy when Merissa Hamilton of Strong Communities Action-EZAZ.org made a bombshell allegation that Maricopa County Election officials were made well aware of the potential for printing and supply issues during the 2022 statewide elections. Hamilton alleged that county officials moved forward without addressing the issues, citing a series of emails detailing the Maricopa County GOP raising concerns to then-Recorder Stephen Richer and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors’ Election Manager Scott Jarrett.
The post gained national attention when it was shared by X owner and de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk.
In the initial post Hamilton wrote, “Remember in 2022 when the nearly 70% of voting centers in Maricopa County failed on Election Day causing massive, long lines and voter disenfranchisement resulting in @KariLake and @AbrahamHamadeh barely losing? Maricopa County knew in advance their Election Day plan was set up for failure, and THEY LET IT FAIL!”
Hamilton noted that the emails were obtained for Strong Communities Action by The Gavel Project and civil rights activist and Arizona election attorney Ryan Heath saying, “Without his legal muscle we wouldn’t have secured it!”
In the thread that followed, Hamilton released several emails from then-Chairwoman of the Maricopa County Republican Committee Mickie Niland to Richer and Jarrett saying, “I remember hearing from Scott (Jarrett) at some point after the primary that there was a problem during the primary with some tabulators not reading correctly due to low ink. How long does it take you to get paper or ink to them if they run out? Is there a process for the voting locations to report when they are half out of paper? How far are the restocking trucks from the voting centers? Are you using the length of the lines to help you determine when more supplies are brought to the centers?“ She also asked if there was any way she could help.
Jarrett responded, “We’ve been monitoring turnout and are prepared,” adding that there was plenty of ballot paper and normal paper to print control slips as well as “sufficient toner and printer drums.”
Hamilton explained, “Several days ahead of Election Day, the Maricopa County GOP leadership warned Maricopa County that their Election Day plan would fail and disenfranchise voters. The Maricopa County BOS Election Director Scott Jarrett insisted everything would be fine saying he was ‘confident.’”
Niland, representing the Maricopa County GOP, even followed up with an email warning, “Trust is low and voting in person is the topic everyone wants to discuss with us. To us if you are basing your decisions off of history, we think things are different now.” Niland added, “Please consider this email the official raising of that flag.”
According to an investigation of the 2022 Maricopa County Election, former Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ruth McGregor found that “many of the Oki B432 printers were not capable of reliably printing 20-inch ballots on 100-pound paper under election-day conditions.”
McGregor added, “The combined effect of the heavy paper, longer ballot, and intermittent burst of print demand pushed the printers to perform at the very edge of or past their capability, so that any decrease in fuser performance in an individual printer could result in problems.”
Replying to the post by Musk, Hamilton thanked the X owner for “bringing attention to this vital matter!” She also raised allegations that Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin has blocked newly elected County Recorder Justin Heap from accessing “the IT staff and responsibilities assigned to him in AZ law to secure and run our elections!”
Later in the afternoon, Maricopa County published a post to X that outlined the October 2024 agreement, which demarcated the election responsibilities of the Board of Supervisors and the Recorder’s Office. Galvin shared the post as well.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Feb 26, 2025 | Economy, News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ8) has joined Arizona Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ5) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ9) in co-sponsoring the Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act, H.R. 1040, which was introduced earlier this month by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). If enacted, the bill would eliminate the current regime of de facto double taxation on Social Security benefits.
In a press release, Hamadeh explained his support for the bill saying, “Amid all of the FAKE news about Social Security benefits and the Democrats’ fear-mongering weaponization of it, I am glad to bring some REAL news to the residents of Arizona’s 8th Congressional District. Help is on the way.”
He added, “’Prior to 1984, Social Security benefits were exempt from the federal income tax. Congress then enacted legislation to tax a portion of those benefits, with the share gradually increasing as a person’s income rose above a specified income threshold,’ noted a Congressional Research Service report. That is simply unfair, and unnecessary.”
Massie laid out the bill’s impact in his own release saying, “Although seniors have already paid tax on their Social Security contributions via the payroll tax, they are still required to list these benefits as taxable income on their tax returns. This is simply a way for Congress to obtain more revenue for the federal government at the expense of seniors who have already paid into Social Security. My bill would exempt Social Security retirement benefits from taxation and boost the retirement income of millions of older Americans.”
As Hamadeh’s office notes, Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) have already introduced corresponding legislation in the U.S. Senate with Tuberville recently telling Newsmax, “In a day and age where the cost of living has skyrocketed, our seniors should not experience a second tax on their Social Security when they’ve already paid income tax on their paychecks.”
The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act was first introduced by former Congressman Ron Paul and has been subsequently introduced by Massie every year since he took office in 2012.
Hamadeh called back to the introduction of the bill by Paul in a statement, “It is my honor – one of the highest honors – to support a bill first introduced by Congressman Ron Paul. The wisdom of the fiscal battles he waged over the years is now becoming evident to everyone thanks to President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). My hope is that as DOGE dives deeper into our bloated and broken bureaucracies, we will find many opportunities to reduce taxes on hard-working Americans.”
“In fact, my colleagues and I are committed to delivering a ‘big, beautiful bill’ that will deliver tax relief to all taxpaying Americans,” said Congressman Hamadeh. “The Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act delivers immediate relief to those who need it most — our seniors who built this country.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
