PHOENIX — More than a week ago Secretary of State Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Attorney General Mark Brnovich asking him to investigate allegations that Republican Party chairwoman Kelli Ward and former president Donald Trump among others tried to interfere with the Maricopa County vote count.
Ward denies any wrongdoing.
On Wednesday, Hobbs received notice only that the Attorney General received the letter.
That prompted a renewed call for an investigation from State Representative Raquel Teran who is also the chair of the Arizona Democratic Party.
“It’s imperative that he take on this investigation because at the end of the day this is not about Republican or Democrat, it’s about every single voter in the state of Arizona,” said Teran.
The minority leaders from both houses of the legislature joined Tehran in calling for the attorney general to set aside politics and do, in their words, "what's right for Arizona."
“If ever there was a time for Attorney General Brnovich to stand up to his own party to do what's right now would be the time,” House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding said.
After months of watching state Republicans control the narrative on election integrity, from the audit to passing new voting laws Democrats are trying to fight back.
Phoenix Congressman Ruben Gallego is waiting for a response from U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to his request the Department of Justice investigate election interference allegations.
On Capitol Hill Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform announced it will investigate the Arizona election audit, focusing on Doug Logan, his company Cyber Ninjas and the subcontractors he hired to help conduct the audit.
The Committee also wants Logan to hand over documents revealing who is funding the audit.
Try as they might, Democrats have yet to convince the Attorney General he should investigate the interference allegations.
“It is important to note Brnovich played a role in defending Arizona’s election,” said Senate Minority Leader Rebecca Rios.
But Rios and other Democratic leaders believe the Attorney General’s silence now has more to do with politics, he is running for the U.S. Senate.
“It’s a sad day when you see elected officials like Brnovich pay to their own political instincts to get elected at all costs and not do the job they are elected to do,” Rios said.
Through a spokesperson, the attorney general's office has released a statement late Friday afternoon saying, “Throughout his career, General Brnovich has consistently adhered to what the law requires. To suggest otherwise is absurd and contrary to his track record. Sometimes people project their own motivations onto others.”
