Arizona governor orders ethics probe into former Republican AG over handling of 2020 election fraud claims

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, reportedly ordered an morals probe into nan state’s erstwhile Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich into his handling of 2020 predetermination fraud allegations. 

"Recent reporting and documents released by nan Arizona Attorney General’s Office has exposed what is apt unethical behaviour by erstwhile Attorney General Mark Brnovich," Hobbs’ wide counsel, Bo Dul, wrote to Chief Bar Counsel Maret Vessella successful a missive Friday obtained by The Washington Post. 

"This behaviour – which is harmful to our democracy, our State, and nan ineligible occupation itself – appears to person coincided pinch nan clip successful which Mr. Brnovich and different attorneys successful his Office were actively negotiating and past participating successful a diversion statement pinch nan State Bar successful respect to File No. 20-2188 and related matters," nan missive says. Dul urges nan State Bar to "carefully review" files published connected nan authorities lawyer general’s website and "take immoderate due action." 

On Wednesday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat who narrowly defeated Republican Abraham Hamadeh aft a recount of votes successful December successful 1 of nan closest elections successful authorities history, released documents related to nan investigations into nan handling of nan 2020 election.

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Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has defended his office's handling of 2020 predetermination fraud allegations.  (AP Photo/Bob Christie, File)

"The results of this exhaustive and extended investigation show what we person suspected for complete 2 years – nan 2020 predetermination successful Arizona was conducted reasonably and accurately by elections officials," Attorney Mayes said successful a statement. "The 10 1000 positive hours spent diligently investigating each conspiracy mentation nether nan sun distracted this agency from its halfway ngo of protecting nan group of Arizona from existent crime and fraud."

The Post reported that specified documents showed Brnovich kept a March 2022 study stating that "virtually each claims of correction and malfeasance were unfounded" private. 

Then successful April, while moving successful nan GOP superior for a U.S. Senate seat, he released an interim study claiming his agency discovered "serious vulnerabilities," allegedly leaving retired edits from his ain investigators refuting those claims. 

 "Katie Hobbs is wrong," Brnovich said successful a statement, dismissing nan allegations.  "This is different misguided effort by her to defame and cancel a governmental force alternatively of addressing nan superior issues facing our state."

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs' wide counsel sent a missive to nan State Bar asking for an morals reappraisal into erstwhile Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich.  (Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic via AP, Pool)

Mayes said contempt her agency spending complete 10,000 hours investigating voting irregularities and "alleged instances of forbidden voting by high-profile predetermination deniers," a September 2022 summary prepared by nan Arizona Attorney General Office (AAGO) Special Investigations Section stated: "In each lawsuit and successful each matter, nan aforementioned parties did not supply immoderate grounds to support their allegations. 

The accusation that was provided was speculative successful galore instances and erstwhile investigated by our agents and support staff, was recovered to beryllium inaccurate."

Mayes said complaints and allegations submitted to nan Arizona Attorney General’s agency by members of nan nationalist "were besides mostly unsupported by actual grounds aliases recovered to beryllium mischaracterizations erstwhile researched by agents and support staff."

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes released documents alleging her Republican predecessor sat connected a study debunking 2020 predetermination fraud claims.  (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

"These allegations included nan counting of copy votes, satellites controlled by nan Italian subject changing votes to favor President Biden, bamboo ballots, and dormant group voting successful numbers that affected nan result of nan election, among others," her agency said. "And while a mini number of cases were submitted for prosecution reappraisal owed to these investigations, these numbers align pinch humanities trends. They do not bespeak wide fraud aliases conspiracy related to nan 2020 election." 

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"Voter fraud is rare, and instances should beryllium handled according to applicable laws erstwhile they do occur," Mayes added Wednesday. "But it is clip to activity together to take sides American populist and uphold nan norm of law. It’s clip for nan divisiveness to stop, and it’s clip for our state to heal."

The Post reported that nan authorities bar, which has nan powerfulness to reprimand aliases disbar its lawyers, received astatine slightest 8 complaints astir Brnovich regarding his office’s investigation into nan 2020 election.