MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow predicted “long run” consequences to the GOP-backed 2020 election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona.
The opinion host told her audience on Friday that supporters of former President Donald Trump will use the process to cast doubt on the results “in a way that none of their failed lawsuits in the past have been able to do.”
Maddow also noted that the people hired by the Republican-led Arizona Senate to conduct the audit of the county now have possession of the election materials in the county that includes Phoenix, calling them “conspiracy theorists.” President Joe Biden won Maricopa County, which has already undergone two prior audits finding no issues, as well as the state of Arizona.
Democrats who sued to stop the audit, arguing that it violates state election security laws, refused to pay a $1 million bond set by a judge on Friday in order for there to be a temporary pause over the weekend while the firm hired to do the audit, Cyber Ninjas, has to provide documents about its procedures. Kory Langhofer, a lawyer for the Arizona Senate president, asked Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick to overturn the order, but so far the duty justice has declined to intervene.
ARIZONA 2020 ELECTION AUDIT POISED TO CONTINUE AFTER DEMOCRATS REFUSE TO PAY $1M BOND
Trump, who has repeatedly insisted the 2020 election was beset by fraud that led to Biden’s victory, released multiple statements on Friday praising the audit and criticizing those who would question it.
This is a ridiculous story that will become very dangerous in the long run.
It will become a lie that the craziest part of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory world will try to live on and build on for a long time to come. pic.twitter.com/B9VTV6xdpE— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog)
April 24, 2021
“The Democrats are ‘swarming’ the Great State of Arizona trying to get the Forensic Election Audit stopped, because only they know exactly what they’ve done, and they understand Voter Fraud far better than anyone. This could be Voter Fraud at the highest level. Don’t think that Arizona is the only State,” he said in one statement, adding: “Much more to come!”
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Maddow also spoke to Arizona Republic reporter Jen Fifield, who raised the alarm about blue ink pens seen at the venue for the audit, Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, because their marks can affect how optical scanners read ballots.
“This is a ridiculous story that will become very dangerous in the long run. It will become a lie that the craziest part of the pro-Trump conspiracy theory world will try to live on and build on for a long time to come,” Maddow and her staff said in a tweet later in the evening.
