Republican Maricopa County Supervisor and former Congresswoman Debbie Lesko is facing blistering criticism for her mischaracterization of a decision by the Board of Supervisors to order a review of the County’s elections.
In a post to X Lesko wrote, “I have pushed for an audit of our election procedures & processes since I was sworn into office. It is vital that voters in Maricopa Co have faith in our elections system. With this audit, we will find out what is being done right & what needs reform.”
The post sparked a swift reply from numerous election integrity advocates who accused Lesko of lying.
Election integrity activist Merissa Hamilton of Strong Communities Action replied to Lesko on X.com, “Every time you lie, you lose credibility!”
Hamilton elaborated, “1) You voted for a REVIEW, not an Audit 2) This is a failed company who botched up previous audits and their work was unusable by staff 3) The proposal by this company was riddled with errors and blatant incorrect information regarding Arizona’s laws and Maricopa County election procedures.”
.@DebbieLesko, everytime you lie, you lose credibility!
1) You voted for a REVIEW, not an Audit
2) This is a failed company who botched up previous audits and their work was unusable by staff
3) The proposal by this company was riddled with errors and blatant incorrect… pic.twitter.com/VPngFlUZhQ
— Merissa Hamilton 🗳 ⛽ 🗽🔥 (@merissahamilton) June 26, 2025
Hamilton shared a link to documentation of the June 6th Maricopa County Formal Meeting which included the item in question labeled as “RFP, ELECTIONS COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW” and referred to a contract to “provide consulting services related to Maricopa County Elections processes, including Chain of Custody, Physical Security, Candidate Filing Compliance, Temporary Worker Hiring and Training, Ballot Drop Boxes, and Vote Center Selection and Setup.”
A press release from the Board of Supervisors likewise referred to process as a “review,” stating that “the review will include a thorough examination of the election process including chain of custody, physical security, candidate filing compliance, temporary worker hiring and training, Vote Center selection and setup, and the use of ballot drop boxes.”
In her full statement published by the Board Lesko said, “I have pushed for an audit of our election procedures and processes since I was sworn into office. I am very pleased that the Board of Supervisors voted to hire a nationally reputable audit firm to review the Maricopa County elections system. It is very important that voters in Maricopa County have faith in our elections system. With this audit we will find out what is being done right and what needs reform.”
Likewise, Vice Chair Kate Brophy McGee also referred to the review as an “audit,” stating, “Maricopa County elections have been under a bright, nationwide spotlight for five years, and we welcome this audit. I am confident we have solid systems and processes in place to serve Maricopa County voters. We welcome the opportunity to improve, and that’s what this comprehensive review is all about.”
Supervisor Steve Gallardo of District 5 noted that the review, “isn’t for the conspiracy theorists or the unhinged election deniers—we’re never going to reach them. This review is for people of good faith who have questions about how Maricopa County elections work, who want to have a good experience when they vote and know their ballot is being handled with care,” adding, “I know all of us on the Board are looking forward to finding out how we can serve voters even better.”
How did Kate Brophy McGee slip into a Board of Supervisors position? She had a dismal voting record as an Arizona Legislator and voted against common sense Conservative legislation more times than you can count on two hands. She voted with Democrats on many controversial pieces of legislation. What is going on with AZ Republicans to allow this person to continue ripping off her constituency?
Given its record in the 2020 and 2024 election fiascos, a MBOS “review” is the fox guarding the henhouse. The voters kicked one of the main incompetents, Richer, to the curb and the BOS couldn’t wait for Heap to be sworn in before stripping him of his statutory authority. Under which conspiracy do you place that, Gallardo?
Gallardo is despot. Labeling people with plausible questions as “conspiracy theorists or the unhinged election deniers” shows that he is not serious about serving the people and re-earning the trust of the voters. He should be ousted!
Each comment here is correct.
I bagged Mar Co vote registration, now in Mohave Co. Any better?! I doubt it.
Does voting even matter anymore, given the fraud here in AZ?
A case can be made for vote refusal, certainly, but I think the local office “elections” can still be real and actual.
But I may be deceiving myself!
MCBOS are controlled by the McCain traitors and Chamber of Commerce idiots
Maricopa County elections are a joke.
So are Pima co’s
keep a sharp ‘eye’ you place the ‘pea’ under the cap – you place the cap with the other two caps – follow the ball – we move the cap – the ball is under the cap – now the ball is where? It’s under the cap.. what you say there was 3 balls one under every cap… of course that’s not true Hmmmm ?