(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Arizona, is standing by his call for investigation into Runbeck Election Services and Maricopa County.
In a letter sent June 17 to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Hamadeh asked the U.S. Department of Justice to look into Runbeck’s managing of ballots from several western states in the 2024 election.
Hamadeh claimed there are “credible reports” that boxes of printed blank ballots from several western states were improperly mixed in a warehouse with returned voted mail ballots that were in the process of being prepared for tabulation.
“This alarming situation raises serious questions about the security and integrity of the election process in Maricopa County and potentially beyond,” wrote Hamadeh. “The comingling of blank ballots with live ballots poses a significant risk to the accuracy and fairness of election results.”
Maricopa County is Arizona’s most populous county and home to its capital, Phoenix.
Hamadeh told The Center Square that it is the proper role of Congress to conduct oversight of federal elections.
“Yet, in response to my appropriate request, the parties and their apologists immediately made claims that the information provided to authorities and the incident briefly described in my transmittal to Attorney General Bondi was ‘impossible,’ ” said Hamadeh.
The congressman said those sorts of reactions are “not only baseless and reckless, but they are why confidence in our in our election officials and processes have eroded” over the years.
“I would think that after years of speculation about Runbeck’s operations and Maricopa County’s elections, both parties should welcome an investigation and the opportunity it could provide to restore confidence in our elections,” said Hamadeh.
An outline from Hamadeh’s office shows exactly what the Arizona Republican wants investigated:
- The circumstance surrounding the mixing of blank ballots with voted ballots in the Runbeck warehouse.
- The security measures in place to prevent such incidents and whether they were followed.
- The potential impact on the accuracy of election results in Maricopa County and any other affected areas.
- Any other relevant factors that may have compromised the integrity of the 2024 elections.
The concern from Hamadeh comes after allegations that China may have been involved in efforts to rig the 2020 election with fake mail-in ballots for Joe Biden.
FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau had turned over documents involving those allegations to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. Grassley is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
