FBI Seizes Election Records from Key Arizona Battleground County

The FBI has reportedly obtained election records from Maricopa County, Arizona, one of the nation’s most closely watched battleground jurisdictions. The development surfaced publicly after President Donald Trump, the current President of the United States, shared a news report Monday detailing the federal action involving records tied to the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Arizona Senate President Warren Peterson confirmed that his office complied with a federal subpoena related to the Arizona Senate’s review of the 2020 election. According to Peterson, the materials his office possessed were handed over to federal authorities as requested.

Peterson addressed the situation directly on social media, writing:

“President Trump is 100% correct. 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. The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news.”

Federal Probe Expands

A report from Just the News, which Trump shared, indicated that the investigation may be broader than initially understood. Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet that FBI agents are collecting substantial amounts of electronic election data from Maricopa County.

“The sources, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the grand jury probe, said FBI agents are receiving gigabytes of electronic election data from Maricopa County, about a month after the bureau first disclosed an investigation into election irregularities by raiding a warehouse near Atlanta and seizing ballots from the 2020 election conducted in Fulton County, Georgia’s largest metropolis.”

The seizure of records follows earlier federal activity tied to alleged election irregularities in Fulton County, Georgia, suggesting that investigators may be reviewing voting procedures in multiple jurisdictions.

Questions Surrounding Election Administration

During an appearance on Real America’s News, Just the News editor-in-chief John Solomon said the federal investigation is examining whether election laws were properly followed.

“The FBI has decided that the history of Maricopa County is problematic. Under federal law, a county or a state must administer the election the way their state laws require. If they don’t, it is a federal legal violation. This is why they raided Fulton County, another place with a long history of irregularities and misconduct, and quite frankly, just incompetent election counting.”

Solomon added that investigators are reviewing records from multiple election cycles, including the 2024 election, when President Trump won Maricopa County with 51 percent of the vote, compared with 48 percent for Democrat Kamala Harris. Trump ultimately carried Arizona statewide with 52.2 percent to 46.7 percent, marking his strongest margin among the seven major swing states.

He also referenced observations made by congressional election monitors.

“But there was a discovery that was made by congressional observers,” Solomon said of the 2024 election. “Every year, the House Administration Committee sends observers — one Democrat, one Republican — to various voting centers.”

Solomon said the FBI will analyze the collected data to determine whether any patterns identified in congressional reports point to irregularities.

“They are going to go through that data looking for some of the telltale signs that were in this congressional report,” Solomon said regarding the FBI’s investigators.

Lawmakers Cite Ongoing Concerns

Rep. Abe Hamadeh of Arizona pointed to longstanding concerns about election management in the state when sharing the report.

His office posted on social media:

“In June last year, Congressman Hamadeh wrote to [Attorney General Pam] Bondi about disturbing allegations of blank ballots commingled with voted mail ballots in Runbeck’s Maricopa County warehouse. Part of the ongoing pattern of disastrous elections in State 48. The FBI has now seized election records in its expanding probe.”

Runbeck Election Services, a private contractor used by Maricopa County, handles ballot printing and processes large volumes of mail-in ballots, including those delivered on Election Day.

Hamadeh previously warned about vulnerabilities in the system.

“We have known for years that our election processes in Arizona are flawed and ripe with opportunities for nefarious forces. There appears to be a clear pattern and practice of security breakdowns, system failures, and outright manipulation that must be investigated and remedied.”

“Now is the time for our Department of Justice to investigate credible allegations and offer sound recommendations to ensure that the integrity of our elections is restored in full.”

Past Controversies in Maricopa County

Election procedures in Maricopa County have been the subject of intense debate in recent years.

In the 2022 election, widespread problems with on-demand ballot printers at voting centers caused delays across the county. Reports indicated that at least 70 polling locations experienced technical difficulties that prevented ballots from being scanned and counted on-site, resulting in long lines for voters.

Rep. Hamadeh, who lost the 2022 Arizona attorney general race by just 511 votes out of more than 2.5 million ballots cast, represents the community of Anthem. Voters there reportedly faced wait times approaching two hours on Election Day.

Former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake also weighed in on the news of the federal subpoena.

“A federal grand jury is now active and has subpoenaed Maricopa County’s election records, including from the 2024 cycle, to probe longstanding issues in State 48. So many of us have raised the alarm for years. The news of this subpoena gives me great hope that something will finally be done.”

Despite legal challenges from both Lake and Hamadeh regarding the 2022 election, courts ultimately declined to overturn the results.

Critics Push Back

Not everyone agrees that the concerns amount to evidence of widespread wrongdoing.

Former Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer responded Monday by arguing that past investigations failed to uncover significant fraud.

“The Attorney General’s Office under Mark Brnovich spent 10,000 man hours investigating the 2020 election results. They found no material fraud or error,” he said.

Arizona remains politically competitive despite President Trump’s victory in the state during the 2024 election. Democrats currently hold several statewide offices, including the governor, attorney general, and secretary of state, while Republicans control the state treasurer’s office and narrowly hold the state legislature.

Both of Arizona’s U.S. Senate seats are currently held by Democrats.