Nov. 29 (UPI) — Two Republican county supervisors in Arizona have been indicted for stalling the certification of last year’s midterm elections, the state attorney general announced Wednesday.
Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd, 61, and Tom Crosby, 64, were charged with interference with an election officer and conspiracy to delay the certification of Arizona’s election results, according to the indictment. Both felonies can carry prison terms of 6 months to 2.5 years.
Judd and Crosby voted against certifying the county’s midterm election results by the 2022 statutory deadline. The pair argued, without evidence, that the county’s voting machines were not properly accredited. A court order forced them to certify the midterm results several days later.
Judd reportedly spread election conspiracy theories online before the midterms and attended the Jan 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally, but denied going into the Capitol, according to an interview with the Tucson Sentinel.
She and Crosby also lobbied to hand count all of the ballots, which is a violation of Arizona state law. The two ended up suing county elections director, Lisa Marra, who later resigned.
“The repeated attempts to undermine our democracy are unacceptable,” Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat who won by a slim margin in the 2022 midterm elections, said in a statement Wednesday.
“I took an oath to uphold the rule of law, and my office will continue to enforce Arizona’s elections laws and support our election officials as they carry out the duties and responsibilities of their offices.”
A number of Republicans lost in Arizona during the 2022 midterms, including Kari Lake, who was running for governor.
Judd and Crosby are the latest Republicans and election deniers to face criminal charges. More than a dozen alleged fake electors, following former President Donald Trump’s loss in 2020, are facing charges in Georgia and Michigan.
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