Two county officials in Cochise County, Arizona, are evidently now under criminal investigation by state Attorney General Kris Mayes after their initial refusals following the 2022 midterm elections to vote for certifying the results from their county. The nature of those responsibilities is procedural rather than something where the officials can unilaterally exert their will on the process.
The 2022 elections in Arizona saw the defeats of several Republicans running in statewide races, including the contests for governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General. After the last incumbent didn’t seek another term, Mayes won that open role by a slim margin, helping provide for this investigation and other investigative efforts reportedly targeting attempts in the state to undercut their election results from 2020. That includes the sham electors assembled in Arizona to support Trump despite Biden winning there. The fact Mayes has only been in office since January explains why Arizona consequences are lagging behind similar efforts in states including Michigan and Georgia.
The results from Cochise County in Arizona last year eventually received the legally mandated support from the local leadership… under court order. The involved county board is comprised of three members, and the third was a Democrat who was supporting certification throughout the process. One of the dissenters, Tom Crosby, didn’t participate in the vote that officially provided the certification, leaving two votes in favor and none opposed.
Now, Crosby and Peggy Judd, the Republicans, have been served with subpoenas demanding an appearance before a grand jury. Also at issue in the investigation is the failed push from Crosby and Judd for a hand count of all the 2022 votes from the county, which also went against the relevant legal standards for handling that year’s elections. “The subpoenas do not specify the criminal violations that the office is investigating,” a publication called VoteBeat reported this week. Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre has told Judd he will not be providing legal representation for her as she faces this state investigation, Judd said. (The same may apply to Crosby, but he didn’t respond to messages from VoteBeat.) Check out more at this link.
