Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wants the federal government to back off the state’s ongoing audit of the 2020 election.
In a letter Monday, Mr. Brnovich said Attorney General Merrick Garland’s comments last week expressing concern about post-election audits were “troubling.”
“Your statements displayed an alarming disdain for state sovereignty,” Mr. Brnovich said. “My office is not amused by the DOJ’s posturing and will not tolerate any effort to undermine or interfere with our State Senate’s audit to reassure Arizonans of the accuracy of our elections.”
Mr. Garland vowed Friday to scrutinize post-election audits “to ensure they abide by federal statutory requirements to protect election records and avoid the intimidation of voters.”
Mr. Garland said that “some jurisdictions, based on disinformation, have utilized abnormal post-election audit methodologies that may put the integrity of the voting process at risk and undermine public confidence in our democracy.”
The audit of the vote in Maricopa County, the state’s most populous county, was orchestrated by state Senate Republicans. It began in April and now ranks as the nation’s longest-running election review.
SEE ALSO: Arizona audit of 2020 election has become a mecca for GOP candidates
Former President Donald Trump, who continues to make baseless claims that Democrats stole the election from him through widespread voter fraud, has praised the audit and urged other states to launch their own election reviews.
Mr. Brnovich, who is running to be the state’s Republican nominee for the Senate, said Arizona is “ready to defend federalism and state sovereignty against any partisan attacks or federal overreach.”
“As I have demonstrated several times, however, Arizona will not sit back and let the Biden administration abuse its authority, refuse to uphold laws, or attempt to commandeer our state’s sovereignty,” he said.
• Emily Zantow can be reached at ezantow@washingtontimes.com.
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