FBI Expands Election Probe, Secretly Subpoenas Records from Maricopa County
The grand jury subpoena, issued recently, targets gigabytes of electronic data from the county's Election Recorder's Office, following concerns raised by the Arizona Senate and a 2024 congressional report on warehouse irregularities.
PHOENIX – The FBI has secretly subpoenaed a large volume of election records from Maricopa County, Arizona's largest county, as part of an expanding criminal investigation into suspected irregularities in voting processes, according to reporting by Just the News.
The grand jury subpoena, issued recently, targets gigabytes of electronic data from the county's Election Recorder's Office, following concerns raised by the Arizona Senate and a 2024 congressional report on warehouse irregularities. Sources familiar with the probe indicate agents are reviewing the materials, building on a similar raid last month in Fulton County, Georgia, where 2020 ballots were seized. In the Georgia affidavit, FBI Special Agent Hugh Raymond Evans noted that some 2020 irregularities have been substantiated, including admissions by county officials, and the bureau is examining potential intentional violations of federal laws requiring adherence to state election procedures.
Maricopa County, encompassing Phoenix and over 4.5 million residents, has been a focal point for election controversies since 2020. The GOP-led Arizona State Senate conducted a lengthy audit that year, concluding significant issues, including an estimated 200,000 ballots with mismatched signatures counted without proper review or curing—over eight times the 25,000 mismatches acknowledged by the county. The audit, influenced by COVID-19 protocols, highlighted vulnerabilities in mail-in ballot verification, a system Arizona adopted widely over the past decade. Early complaints came from Democrats, but recent allegations from Republicans, including President Trump, former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, and Rep. Abe Hamadeh, focus on ballot harvesting, distribution flaws, and counting discrepancies persisting into 2022.
The subpoena stems from a joint report by Republican and Democratic election observers deployed in November 2024, documenting blank and filled-out absentee ballots stored together in a heavily guarded warehouse, potentially from multiple states. House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil referenced the report without releasing it, emphasizing collaboration with federal agencies to ensure legal compliance. "We’re digging back through those reports that were submitted by our election observers that were deployed across the country," Steil said.
Ongoing tensions in Maricopa include a feud between newly elected Recorder Justin Heap and the Board of Supervisors over election planning for 2026. Heap sued the board in February 2026 to reclaim authority and resources, rejecting their early voting plan as inconvenient for voters. The board passed a new Shared Services Agreement on February 17, granting Heap control over early voting while retaining oversight on funding, staffing, and Election Day operations. Board Chair Kate Brophy McGee stated the move ensures "elections run smoothly and securely."
The FBI probe may extend to other states, with sources indicating additional searches and subpoenas soon. Maricopa officials and Democrats argue concerns are overblown, while Republicans highlight systemic vulnerabilities. The investigation underscores federal efforts to safeguard election integrity amid partisan divides.