Newsweek reports U.S. Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-Ariz) has asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation into alleged mishandling of ballots by Arizona-based Runbeck Election Services, which operates in several western states.
In his letter to Bondi, Hamadeh says there are “credible claims” that boxes of printed blank ballots from several states were improperly mixed with returned mail ballots that were in the process of being prepared for tabulation in Runbeck's warehouse.
“This alarming situation raises serious questions about the security and integrity of the election process in Maricopa County and potentially beyond,” Hamadeh stated. “The comingling of blank ballots with live ballots poses a significant risk to the accuracy and fairness of election results. It is crucial that we have confidence in the integrity of our elections, and any potential mishandling of ballots must be investigated to ensure that the will of the voters is accurately reflected.”
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The congressman requested the DOJ investigate the circumstances surrounding the mixing of the ballots, security prevention measures in place and whether they were followed. He also requested information on the potential impact the mingling had on the accuracy of election results in Arizona's Maricopa County and elsewhere.
Hamadeh did not provide any details about the origin of the allegations, which Newsweek has not confirmed. However, in a press release, Hamadeh cited Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel recently announcing that his agency has turned over documents alleging China mass-produced fake U.S. driver's licenses as part of its effort to rig the 2020 election with fake mail-in ballots.
“We have known for years that our election processes in Arizona are flawed and ripe with opportunities for nefarious forces,” Hamadeh said. “… Now is the time for our Department of Justice to investigate credible allegations and offer sound recommendations to ensure that the integrity of our elections is restored in full.”
In February, Bondi disbanded the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force "to free resources to address more pressing priorities," despite warnings by U.S. intelligence agencies of malign foreign influence operations targeting the U.S. NBC News reports she also pared back enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
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Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos told Newsweek: "Irregularities in elections should always be investigated, but the sources of such inconsistencies, which can include error or miscalculation, are not always nefarious.”
“Mistakes can happen," said Panagopoulos.
Read the full Newsweek report at this link.