Tensions erupt among Arizona Republicans over their 'disgraceful' election fraud hearing

Republicans in Arizona are in the midst of an internal battle after they hosted a panel of election conspiracy theorists last week who implicated some of them in a supposed drug cartel bribery scandal.

The Arizona Mirror reports that Republican Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma called out freshman Arizona State Rep. Liz Harris by name in denouncing her role in organizing the hearings, which featured allegations of criminal activity leveled against Mesa Mayor John Giles and Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, both of whom are Republicans.

“What should have been a joint hearing to examine commonsense election reforms devolved into disgraceful fringe theater,” he said. “I’m not alone in believing that it was irresponsible and bad judgment for Ms. Harris to invite a person to present unsubstantiated and defamatory allegations in a legislative forum.”

Republican Arizona State Sen. T.J. Shope endorsed Toma's comments on Twitter and said that the hearing was "a disgrace and an embarrassment to the Arizona Legislature."

While the bribery allegations were initially limited just to Giles and Richer, the man behind them subsequently implicated MAGA favorite State Sen. Wendy Rogers in an interview in the days after the hearing.

Although Rogers was initially supportive of the election conspiracy theory hearings, she put out a statement earlier this week saying that the legislative hearing was not an appropriate place to level allegations of criminality against serving Republican officials.

There is no evidence that any of these officials have taken any bribes from drug cartels.