The Arizona State Senate says it complied with a federal grand jury subpoena and handed over records from its 2020 Maricopa County audit; the FBI now has those documents. The Senate’s review had affirmed Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona. The subpoena appears to expand a broader federal inquiry into the post-2020 election efforts, while Maricopa officials maintain the audit only identified 50 double-counted ballots. The situation remains under investigation and could evolve as agencies respond.
FBI Receives Arizona Senate Records From Maricopa 2020 Audit, Senate President Says
In this May 6, 2021, file photo, Maricopa County ballots cast in the 2020 general election are examined and recounted by contractors working for Florida-based company Cyber Ninjas at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. - Matt York/AP
The Arizona State Senate says it has complied with a federal grand jury subpoena and turned over records related to its 2020 review of Maricopa County election results, Senate President Warren Petersen said.
The Senate's review affirmed that Joseph R. Biden won Arizona in the 2020 presidential contest.
“Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County,” Senate President Warren Petersen wrote on X. “The FBI has the records.”
The subpoena appears to broaden an ongoing federal inquiry into events surrounding the 2020 election. Former President Donald Trump repeatedly and baselessly asserted that the election was stolen; his claims have been widely debunked by state and federal officials.
News organizations have contacted the Justice Department and the FBI for comment, and the agencies have not publicly detailed the scope of the subpoena.
Maricopa County became a focal point after the 2020 election. At the time, reporting indicated that some White House officials sought to contact senior county election officials as part of a pressure effort.
The FBI also executed a search warrant in January at the Fulton County elections office in Georgia. It has not been publicly established whether that action is connected to the subpoena seeking Arizona records.
Some online reports have incorrectly named public figures or agencies as leading separate inquiries; for example, Tulsi Gabbard is not the Director of National Intelligence. There is no public confirmation of a separate DNI-led investigation into the 2020 results at this time.
After the 2020 election and repeated fraud claims, Arizona Senate Republicans ordered a months-long review of roughly 2.1 million ballots in Maricopa County and later published a full report. The Senate contracted a private firm called Cyber Ninjas to carry out the review; the company had no prior experience auditing elections and closed in 2022.
Maricopa County officials issued a 93-page rebuttal to the Senate review, saying the audit’s only confirmed error was that 50 ballots had been double-counted — a number far too small to affect the statewide outcome.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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