As an American, as a combat veteran, and as someone who is committed to public service through honest, democratic elections, it was disgusting to see what happened to President Donald J. Trump during the 2020 elections. While we may not be able to go backwards, we need to understand what went wrong and root out all fraud before the next election. That’s what’s happening right now in Arizona, but the media insists on ignoring it—you shouldn’t.
According to the state-verified election results, Joe Biden won Arizona by a razor thin margin, flipping a key state that President Donald J. Trump secured in 2016 by a decisive margin. However, due to discrepancies and credible concerns of fraud, the Arizona State Senate voted to authorize and finance a full forensic audit of the election returns.
However, the process has been anything but straightforward when it comes to the election officials. They’ve resisted the effort at every turn, forcing the State Senate to take the matter to court, where a judge had to issue subpoenas for the information. It is almost like they have something to hide.
This week, the State Senate President sent a letter to the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, who is responsible for managing elections. In the letter, Senate President Karen Fann detailed “three (3) serious issues that have arisen in the course of the Senate’s ongoing audit of the returns of the November 3, 2020 general election in Maricopa County.”
The first is that the Board of Supervisors is attempting to “renege” on their commitment to comply with the subpoenas. The court-issued order to turn over specific evidence and hardware to auditors is now being ignored by the Board in a clear and actionable violation of the subpoena. Again, it’s worth wondering, why?
Secondly, the Board of Supervisors seemingly mismanaged and mishandled ballots, which has raised significant questions. Were the ballots properly secured, as required by law? Is there proper documentation for the chain of custody of these ballots?
These aren’t meaningless process questions. These are the fundamental requirements to ensure the integrity of our elections. Maricopa County voters, the state of Arizona, and citizens across the country deserve to know the answer.
Finally, in what appears to be a brazen attempt to undermine this audit, election officials deleted entire databases days before handing over computer drives. The files deleted include one labeled, “Results Tally and Reporting.” If there’s an explanation, let’s hear it. If not, there should be significant consequences for this obstruction.
As someone who believes strongly in our Democratic Republic, I want to result of this audit to show no levels of meaningful fraud. I want our elections to be reaffirmed by a thorough review and voters’ confidence to be restored. Honestly, I want that above anything.
However, what is happening right now in Arizona does not lend itself to that reality. Sadly, the secrecy and obstacles being placed in the way of these independent auditors should give pause to every American. If this is something to hide in Arizona, under “Republican” leadership, why should we not believe there’s more to the 2020 story in states like Nevada, Michigan, and Pennsylvania?
I believe in trust but verify. That’s why I’ll be watching what happens in Maricopa County closely, and so should you!
Former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens is currently running for Missouri’s open U.S. Senate seat.
Source: Newmax
