Dem Arizona Secretary of State Pulls Cheap Political Stunt On Trump, Asks GOP AG To Open Criminal Probe Of Trump and Allies
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs is running for Governor and she just revealed her platform – get Trump. It won’t work but it will play to the hysterical Dem base. Hobbs asked GOP Attorney General Mark Brnovich to open a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and his allies and their alleged attempt to interfere in Maricopa County.
You know this is political because the chances of a Republican AG who is running for higher office – Brnovich is running for the Senate against Mark Kelly – opening a criminal probe of Trump are less than zero.
Hobbs wrote, “Arizona law protects election officials from those who would seek to interfere with their sacred duties to ascertain and certify the will of the voters. I urge you to take action not only to seek justice in this instance, but to prevent future attempts to interfere with the integrity of our elections.”
Hobbs said recent reporting shows Trump or his allies made “clear efforts to induce supervisors to refuse to comply with their duties,” which may violate Arizona law in Hobb’s opinion.
“The reporting also includes firsthand statements from the victims of this potential crime,” Hobbs said. She cited one potential felony charge that could be brought under Arizona law. While this is a clear stunt to get her name out their and increase her email fundraising list, this could also be a setup to try to get the Feds involved by claiming the GOP won’t go after the GOP.
From AZ Central:
Late Wednesday, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., called on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to examine the possibility of “an extremely serious crime” in what Gallago called a “pressure campaign” exerted by the Trump campaign and party officials.
Their efforts “reflect a disturbing trend following the 2020 election of Trump advisors and allies, and even former President Trump himself, committing potential crimes to overturn the election,” Gallego wrote.
The U.S. Justice Department did not have an immediate response earlier Wednesday when asked whether it might look into the matter.
Hobbs, a Democrat, is running for governor next year. She created a national profile for defending Arizona’s election administration efforts when November presidential election results were among the closest in the country. Arizona was spotlighted by Trump and his allies as they promoted the false narrative of a stolen election.
Brnovich, a Republican, is running for the U.S. Senate next year. Trump has criticized Brnovich for not supporting the state Senate’s ongoing ballot review. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Arizona law Brnovich defended that makes voting more difficult, something he has cast as part of his commitment to preserving election integrity.
Now, he has been asked to investigate Trump and his GOP allies on that very issue.
“As you said just last week, ‘Fair elections are the cornerstone of our republic, and they start with rational laws that protect both the right to vote and the accuracy of the results,’” Hobbs wrote in her letter to Brnovich seeking an investigation. “Arizona law protects election officials from those who would seek to interfere with their sacred duties to ascertain and certify the will of the voters.”
Hobbs asked Brnovich to refer her request for an investigation to another law enforcement agency if his ethical duties prevent him from investigating the matter.
Local reporting recently uncovered intense efforts to interfere with the tabulation of ballots and canvass of the 2020 election in Maricopa County. In Arizona, interfering with election officials is a felony. Today, I asked @GeneralBrnovich to investigate. pic.twitter.com/qSFytrrll7
— Secretary Katie Hobbs (@SecretaryHobbs) July 7, 2021