A county official in rural Arizona pleaded responsible to a misdemeanor on Monday after acknowledging delaying the vote canvass in 2022. Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd (R) was indicted on felony election interference and conspiracy costs final fall after she and a fellow Republican supervisor voted in opposition to certifying the county’s midterm election outcomes upfront of a statutory deadline.
Arizona regulation prohibits felons from holding public workplace, however by accepting a deal to plead to a singular misdemeanor — failure to carry out an obligation by an election officer — Judd can retain her seat within the ruby-red county within the state’s southeast nook.
The plea deal comes barely two weeks upfront of the 2024 presidential election, the place former President Trump has not indicated that he’ll settle for the outcomes if he loses. Arizona is once more seen as a crucial swing state this cycle, with polls exhibiting an in depth race.
“Any try and intrude with elections in Arizona won’t be tolerated. My workplace will proceed to pursue justice and be sure that anybody who undermines our electoral system is held accountable,” Legal professional Common Kris Mayes (D), whose workplace prosecuted the case, mentioned in a press release.
“Today’s plea agreement and sentencing should serve as a strong reminder that I will not hesitate to use every tool available to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of Arizona’s elections,” she continued.
Judd pays a most $500 high quality and face no less than 90 days of probation, Mayes’s workplace mentioned.
The Hill has reached out to Judd for remark.
Cochise County grew to become an epicenter of election fraud accusations following the 2022 midterm elections as then-gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) contested her slender loss. The state had a number of different razor-thin contests that election cycle, and Cochise County additionally largely lies in a key Home district.
Judd and fellow Republican Supervisor Tom Crosby (R) each voted in opposition to certifying the county’s vote canvass upfront of the deadline set by state regulation. A trio of conspiracy theorists had claimed the county’s voting machines weren’t correctly accredited, however these allegations had been refuted by the Arizona secretary of state’s workplace and the U.S. Elections Help Fee.The county finally licensed its canvass after a court docket ordered them to take action, inflicting Judd to alter her vote. Crosby nonetheless faces two felony counts within the case and has pleaded not responsible.
—Up to date at 2:33 p.m.
