The stories about Arizona’s certification-denying counties, and all the rigged or broken election nonsense buffeting the supervisors’ decision to not certify, are coming at us faster and more often than Rev. Warnock’s emails.
Yesterday two of three members of the Board of Supervisors for Cochise County, a rural area in southeastern Arizona, one of the more majestic landscapes in the state, voted to not certify the county’s election by Nov. 28, the deadline. (I think of Stegner’s hope that we’ll create a society to match the scenery. It’s not working yet.) The linked story also mentions possible consequences, some good for Democrats.
Lawyer up
Today the supervisors for Cochise County interviewed an attorney to prepare for two lawsuits filed yesterday—one by election champion Marc Elias, the other by Arizona’s Secretary of State, and Governor-elect, Katie Hobbs. It sounds like the county’s staff attorney didn’t want to go near this (who can blame?), so someone was interviewed and hired today.
I’m not jacking anyone around here when I tell you the lawyer they hired also represented the Cyber Ninjas during those bozos’ many legal battles stemming from the ridiculous, expensive, criminal, and ultimately meaningless “audit.” No shit, a through-line from the “audit” to a MAGA nitwit down south committing a crime and disenfranchising her own voters. (I wonder if the county knows the lawyer they hired didn’t hit a home run with the Ninjas, costing them millions in fines.) Ed: 24 hours later that lawyer said, “Nope, I’m not their attorney.” Currently the county has none for a hearing this week.
The reluctant supervisors, who have no evidence of fraud (but they’re awfully sure of it, enough to pull this bullshit stunt), face felony charges; a lawsuit will cost the small, rural county plenty; and failure to certify could swing GOP victories to Democrats, including a US House seat. In the end this desperation, MAGAs clutching to the Big Lie in a Bisbee, Arizona courthouse, will accomplish nothing, other than scorch their own house.
Arrest me
Meanwhile Kari Lake is egging on the lawlessness, encouraging county supervisors to vote no on certification. Today on Steve Bannon’s show she said officials have told her they’d like to vote no, but they’re being threatened with a Class 6 felony. Well, yeah, because it is. Doesn’t matter to Lake, just like it wouldn’t matter to trump, same playbook. The insignificant supervisors, their lives certain to be upended, should stand for the magnificence of her.
“But I wish that somebody would say, ‘You know what? Arrest me then. I don't care,’” Lake remarked. “We need people with courage to say, ‘Class what felony? Go ahead, go for it, arrest me because this is a botched election and you're disenfranchising the folks in Mohave County when you allow this kind of election in Maricopa County to stand.’”
At least she didn’t say erection. It’s anyone’s guess how deeply Lake and her team were involved in the decision by Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd to change her vote to no. Earlier she said she’d certify but on the day of she voted no by teleconference, not even at the meeting. Someone talked to her. TBH, I was surprised the QAnon nutter and Jan. 6 participant ever planned to vote yes. If Judd thinks Biden slurps baby blood, I’m guessing there’s not a whole lot of rational thought influencing her decision making, and she probably couldn’t give two tiny fecks about the effect of her vote on her community because [insert a crazy-ass Q conspiracy].
‘Clear legal violations’
Whatever, she could be in a world of hurt very soon, as could the other Republican Supervisor Tom Crosby (the lone Democrat Ann English voted to certify). Today, a former AG and a former County Attorney, one Democrat and one Republican, sent a letter to current AG Mark Brnovich, outlining the violations and urging action.
Former Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard and Republican Maricopa County Attorney Richard Romley are asking state and county prosecutors to open a criminal investigation into Republican Cochise County supervisors who have refused to certify the election results.
Goddard and Romley said nothing like this has happened in the state, and the perpetrators must be held accountable, if only to send a message to other wingnut counties considering the same. Several others did but then reality slapped them upside their noggins and the supervisors followed the law.
Don’t expect much from Brnovich, and election officials are calling for the Assistant AG, a cheerleader for denialism who tweets made-up election “controversy,” to recuse herself from any investigation.
Next up
Neither Loser Kari Lake (Gov) nor Loser Mark Finchem (SoS) have conceded, far from it; they’re pushing the lie, using the courts, encouraging lawlessness. Loser Blake Masters (Sen) has landed a new gig with the Republican National Committee, which I guess is doing an autopsy on what the hell happened on Nov. 8. I could tell them that for free: shitty candidates. So they hire one of the primo shitty candidates to do the research and help Republicans win. Please proceed.
The Arizona AG race remains in a recount with Democrat Kris Mayes leading Republican Abraham Hamadeh by 510 votes. When your state ticket includes Lake and Finchem and Masters, a nonstop circus of the cruel and stupid, Hamadeh gets overlooked, but he’s just as nasty, whether it’s hating on people or the government he wants to work for.
He’s not about to wait around for a recount. A few days ago Hamadeh filed a lawsuit alleging that the printer issue in Maricopa County, which had no effect on the tally, cost him the election. So stop the recount and award the race to me! Yeah, he said that, and the Republican National Committee joined his lawsuit. A judge today said, Not so fast. Any proof? No. Examined county records? No. Is there even a final count to contest since a recount is underway? No. Then WTF are we doing here?
An attempt by Abe Hamadeh, the Republican candidate for attorney general to overturn the election results in a race he lost was dismissed Tuesday afternoon because he ignored a state law requiring election challenges be filed after the election has been certified.
And RNC you can just stay out of this, you have no standing in our election business. Arizona’s Republicans have done a swell enough job fucking it up—recounts, “audits,” denial, protests, lawbreaking, insurrection. They don’t need more help.
Trump’s selection of Arizona candidates, his endorsements, his rallies, and ultimately his hateful messages ended up costing Republicans four statewide races, including the two they most coveted in order to fix elections forever—Governor and Secretary of State. Had Kari Lake and Mark Finchem won those seats Cochise County’s lawlessness would not be a crime. Heck, it’d be encouraged, part of the plan all along.