FBI Investigating 2020 Election in Maricopa County, Arizona

The FBI has launched an investigation into past elections in Arizona’s Maricopa County, according to state Senate President Warren Petersen, who confirmed he complied with a federal subpoena for records related to the controversial 2020 election audit.

“Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County,” Petersen stated on social media Monday. “The FBI has the records.”

The investigation appears to focus on materials from the state’s widely discredited 2020 election audit conducted by Cyber Ninjas, a now-defunct Florida-based company. Despite allegations of voting irregularities, the audit ultimately confirmed President Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona.

The news sparked confusion after far-right outlet Just the News published a report claiming the FBI was “secretly obtaining a large tranche of voting records” directly from Maricopa County through a grand jury subpoena. Former President Donald Trump quickly amplified this claim on social media, describing it as “Great!!!”

However, county officials quickly refuted these assertions. Both the Maricopa County Elections department and the Recorder’s Office issued statements confirming they had not received any subpoenas from federal authorities.

“Maricopa County runs safe, secure and transparent elections in accordance with the law,” the Elections department stated. “We have not received a subpoena at this time but will cooperate if that were to occur.”

Petersen dismissed the claims of a direct county subpoena as “fake news,” clarifying that the FBI had only requested materials from the Senate’s previous investigation.

Maricopa County, home to more than 2.6 million registered voters and representing over 60% of Arizona’s electorate, has been a focal point of Trump’s unsubstantiated claims about the 2020 presidential election. The county has consistently been targeted by election denial conspiracies since Biden’s narrow victory in Arizona.

Stephen Richer, who served as Maricopa County’s recorder from 2021 to 2025, suggested the subpoena likely targeted “all the digital records that the Cyber Ninjas received, or made, pursuant to their months-long review of the 2020 election.” Richer characterized the original audit as ending with “a silly report, a recount that the Cyber Ninjas themselves called a ‘little screwy,’ and a bankruptcy filing by the company’s CEO.”

The FBI’s interest in these materials has raised concerns among voting rights advocates, particularly after the bureau’s controversial January raid on an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia – another jurisdiction Trump has falsely accused of fraud.

“This phony ‘investigation’ is the latest chapter in Trump’s vendetta against the American people, particularly those who do not support him,” said Alex Gulotta, state director of All Voting is Local, an organization advocating for election integrity. “He’s recycling disproven 2020 conspiracy theories about Arizona’s elections to justify interfering with free and fair elections.”

The investigation comes amid heightened political tensions over voting regulations. The current Maricopa County Recorder, Republican Justin Heap, recently claimed his office identified 60 non-citizens who voted in previous elections – though experts note these findings relied on the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database, which has been criticized for frequently misidentifying naturalized citizens.

Heap’s announcement coincided with his appearance alongside outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem promoting the SAVE America Act, legislation that voting rights advocates have described as potentially the most restrictive voting proposal in U.S. history.

As the 2026 midterms approach, the FBI’s investigation into Maricopa County adds another layer to the ongoing national debate over election security, voter access, and the legacy of the 2020 presidential contest.