The Arizona Republican-dominated Senate has refused to release the Cyber Ninjas “audit” results even after two Maricopa County Superior Court judges and the Appeals Court all ruled they were public records.
A nonprofit advocacy group American Oversight sued the Arizona Senate last May to obtain the “audit” records. The state Republican-dominated Senate went to the Supreme Court, but the Court decided to not take it up. Unlike in Texas, it dissolved a stay that had kept the records out of the hands of the defendants.
Evers released a prepared statement following the Supreme Court’s ruling. It read:
‘Arizona law does not allow public servants to outsource democracy and shroud their conduct in secrecy. The Arizona Senate’s legal maneuvering to conceal these records from the public matches the outrageousness of their so-called audit. That ends today. Arizonans can look forward to much-needed transparency, even if it may reveal gross attacks on democracy itself.’
When The Republic sued, Judge John Hannah ordered the Cyber Ninjas to keep all records preserved during the litigation period. Senate Majority Leader Karen Fann (R) and the Arizona Senate said they would hand over all records with the clever words “in their possession.”
Another nonprofit advocacy group The Republic discovered most of the documents were useless, news clippings and emails from people around the nation who favored the Senate’s view. The nonprofit filed its lawsuit to demand the Senate and the Cyber Ninjas release the records.
Fann sent a text message to The AZ Central and said she will meet with her attorney and discuss how to comply with it the latest decision. She said:
‘What concerns me more is the fact that this ruling could open up a whole new precedent of two private companies having to divulge private communications between themselves and anyone that asks under a (public records) request.’
American Oversight and The Republic first began trying to get these documents via the Arizona Public Records Law. They filed separate lawsuits after the Senate refused to comply.
So is the Arizona government trying to emulate McConnell’s Republicans? See if this looks familiar, as CBS News explained:
‘Fascists believe the state takes precedence over individual interests. They favor centralized rule, often a single party or leader, and embrace the idea of a national rebirth, a new greatness for their country. Economic self-sufficiency is prized and Youth, masculinity, and strength (and Race) are highly fetishized.’
Oh, and that term hated by Republicans? It is ANTIFA. It stands for anti-Fascist.
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