PHOENIX — The forensic audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona, initiated by the Republican-controlled Arizona state Senate, has ruled in favor of Joe Biden despite Republican claims of mass voter fraud.
A draft report that leaked ahead of the release of the official audit report reaffirmed Biden as the winner of the presidential election in Maricopa County where President Donald Trump claimed a majority of the fraud in Arizona occured.
The report, which is already being challenged by Republicans, claims Joe Biden won 99 more votes than he did in the certified ballot count last year while Trump came up 261 votes short of last year’s official results.
Trump was quick to criticize the report’s findings, slamming the media for what he called a “rush to judgment” on the report which he said “has uncovered significant and undeniable evidence of fraud.”
“Huge findings in Arizona! However, the Fake News Media is already trying to ‘call it’ again for Biden before actually looking at the facts—just like they did in November!” Trump said in a statement released through his leadership PAC, “Save America.”
“This is a major criminal event and should be investigated by the Attorney General immediately,” he added. “The Senate’s final report will be released today at 4:00PM ET. I have heard it is far different than that being reported by the Fake News Media.”
“This is not even the whole state of Arizona, but only Maricopa County. It would only get worse!” Trump said in a subsequent statement. “There is fraud and cheating in Arizona and it must be criminally investigated! More is coming out in the hearing today.”
Randy Pullen, a spokesman for the election review, confirmed the validity of the leaked draft.
“It’s not the final report, but it’s close,” he told Phoenix’s KJZZ.
A formal presentation is scheduled before the Arizona Senate, where President Karen Fann and Sen. Warren Petersen, the Republicans who issued subpoenas that obtained the ballots and voting materials needed for the investigation, will present contractors they hired to conduct the review an opportunity to state their findings.
