0
0
Newly Discovered Emails Hint at Misuse of Government Resources to Influence Elections
A recent public records request revealed a series of emails, made public on Tuesday, shedding light on potential misuse of government resources by former Elections Analyst Garrett Archer from the Arizona Secretary of State’s office. These emails suggest that Archer may have used his position to bolster Katie Hobbs’ political career and potentially influence elections in early 2019, soon after Hobbs assumed office.
Background on the Context
The controversy surrounding the 2022 Arizona Gubernatorial election, where Katie Hobbs contested against Kari Lake, has been extensively covered by The Gateway Pundit. Hobbs, holding the position of Secretary of State at the time, was tasked with supervising voting machine logic, accuracy testing, and overall election processes when a significant percentage of voting machines failed in Maricopa County.
Archer, known for his efforts to refute claims of election fraud and defend questionable election practices in Maricopa County through ABC 15, a local affiliate of ABC News, previously held the role of Senior Elections Analyst at the Arizona Secretary of State from September 2016 to April 2019. Notably, during his tenure, Archer also served as project manager for the Access Voter Information Database, also known as AVID.
His current endeavors seem focused on concealing election fraud in Arizona, evident when Archer seemingly advocated for legal action against TGP reporter Jordan Conradson for reporting on fraudulent mail-in ballot signatures and highlighting Maricopa County’s dubious mail-in ballot processes.
Alleged Misuse of Resources
Specifically, on January 7, 2019, Archer sent an email to Twitter using his official government email account during work hours, seeking verification of a blue checkmark for Katie Hobbs’ personal and campaign Twitter account, @KatieHobbs. Despite initial hesitations from Twitter, a verification request was eventually submitted, although with a caveat that the account appeared to predominantly feature political campaign content.
This action raises legal questions surrounding the use of government resources to secure non-official benefits for public officials. Legal experts contemplate the potential violations of ARS 38-504(C), indicating concerns over the manifest influence on an officer or employee’s duties through the acquisition of perks not typically associated with their official roles.
Furthermore, ARS 16-192 prohibits the use of public resources to sway election outcomes, encompassing the use of various assets such as computer hardware, web pages, and personnel. This regulation becomes pertinent in evaluating instances where public resources are utilized to benefit personal or campaign-related endeavors, possibly infringing upon the integrity of the electoral process.
Implications and Response
Despite Archer’s assertion that he did not conceal his past employment under Katie Hobbs and the lack of detailed explanations for the diversion of government resources to elevate Hobbs’ political pursuits, the matter remains a subject of scrutiny. The apparent interplay between official roles and personal advancements in the political sphere raises concerns regarding ethical conduct and the upholding of legal standards in a governmental setting.
It remains to be seen how these revelations will impact the ongoing discourse surrounding election integrity and the responsible utilization of public resources for personal gains within the political domain.
Image/Photo credit: source url
