Republicans who control the Arizona Senate voted Thursday to fast-track a resolution finding Maricopa County in contempt for failing to turn over elections equipment and ballots cast in the November election as a subpoena demanded.
The rules change brought furious opposition from minority Democrats, who called the effort further evidence that GOP senators have bought into unfounded conspiracy theories that President Joe Biden won Arizona because of problems with vote counting.
“The more we play along with this silly game the more we are lying to the people of Arizona about it,” Sen. Martin Quezada, a Glendale Democrat, said. “We need to cut this out, and we need to cut it out now.”
The 16-13 party-line vote to waive requirements for committee hearings and full debate sets up a formal vote on the resolution as soon as Monday. If it passes, county supervisors could be arrested for failing to comply with the subpoenas.
Republicans said they were not challenging the election results, noting that Biden is now president. Instead, they said they want to do their own audit of the county's voting machines and review ballots to restore confidence in the county's elections.
“What we are trying is to prove to the voters of Maricopa County that they can trust and count on their election process,” GOP Sen. Rick Gray said during the vote. “I think that is reasonable. I think that is necessary.”
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