As Maricopa County Turns

This latest show is a combo soap opera, crime drama, and reality show (unfortunately).  

I, and others, may make light of the situation, but I haven't forgotten, and others shouldn't forget, that this is about our ballots.

The County Recorder, a Republican (Justin Heap) and the County Board of Supervisors, mostly Republicans (Kate Brophy McGee [R], Debbie Lesko [R], Mark Stewart [R], Thomas Galvin [R], and Steve Gallardo [D]) have been going at it for months, with lawsuits, threats of lawsuits, simple threats, and more, being exchanged, mostly over elections and democracy.

Now, it's progressed (regressed?) to a surveillance video.

From KJZZ, written by Wayne Schutsky -

Security video shows Maricopa County Recorder's Office staff accused of removing voting equipment

An internal investigation by Maricopa County officials substantiated allegations that staffers from Recorder Justin Heap’s office acted inappropriately after they were caught on tape removing equipment from the county’s central tabulation center during a local Tempe election in March.

The security footage, obtained by KJZZ through the state’s Public Records Law, appears to show Bryan Colby — the recorder’s chief information officer — and another unknown staff member removing a “pre-tabulation scanner” from a locked area at the Maricopa County Election & Tabulation Center in the afternoon on March 12, as votes were being counted in Tempe’s election.

The footage then shows Colby and the other person moving the scanner on cart out of the tabulation center and loading it into an unmarked gray truck before driving away at around 1:49 p.m.

[snip]

The whole incident only came to light after Heap filed an emergency motion in Maricopa County Superior Court this week, asking the judge in that case to intervene after an investigator showed up at Colby’s home.

That investigator, an off-duty Pinal County Sheriff deputy, is working for former Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer, Votebeat reported. Volkmer was appointed by Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to investigate whether the allegations against the recorder’s staff rise to the level of criminality.

Brahm Resnik of Phoenix channel 12 (KPNX) has the video here.

AZFamily has a story, from their staff and Dennis Welch, about Heap ceding control of his office to an election-denying law firm, America First Legal -

[snip]

{County Supervisor Thomas} Galvin said Mitchell is telling the courts that Heap is circumventing her office, using a partisan law firm from out of state to run and control the entire recorder’s office.

“That’s a very damaging and scary allegation,” Galvin said.

Galvin said he has only had interactions with the attorney who works at the recorder’s office. The attorney has written emails to the board saying the board should only go through him. Heap has given up complete control over his office, Galvin said.

My guess (and it's only that) is that Heap doesn't complete the term as County Recorder, which runs through 2028.

It may be through a face-saving resignation or a removal from office that allows him to falsely cloak himself in MAGAmartyrdom; either way, though, he should be gone, if only for the grievous offense of making Helen Purcell look competent.