From WIRED · David Gilbert · · 2m
Maricopa County faces new election conspiracy wave
Two weeks before the midterms, election deniers are reviving baseless fraud claims about Arizona's Maricopa County using a secretly obtained video.
In brief
Two weeks before the midterms, election deniers are reviving baseless fraud claims about Arizona's Maricopa County using a secretly obtained video. Election denial groups are spreading conspiracy theories about Maricopa County ahead of the midterms using a video obtained from a camera they accessed years ago…
Trump revives Maricopa attacks
President Donald Trump told reporters last week that Maricopa is a very, very dishonest county, echoing claims from the 2020 election denial movement.
“Maricopa is a very, very dishonest county”
Election deniers target Maricopa again
With just over two weeks to go before the midterms, extremist election activists are ramping up efforts to undermine trust in voting and confuse voters.
County becomes familiar conspiracy setting
Kate Starbird, cofounder of the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, says Maricopa has become a familiar setting where election issues get wrapped into rigged election conspiracy theories.
“Maricopa has become a familiar setting, a place where election issues arise or are perceived to arise, and where those issues get wrapped into 'rigged election' conspiracy theories.”
Video sparks new false claims
We the People USA Alliance posted a video on X showing two Maricopa County employees working late on October 7 inside the ballot tabulation center, insinuating they were tampering with equipment.
Kari Lake amplifies the false claims
Kari Lake, former TV star and senior adviser in the Trump administration, boosted the video on X, writing more shenanigans at the Maricopa county ballot tabulation center.
“More shenanigans at the Maricopa county ballot tabulation center”
Video came from secretly accessed camera
Jennifer Liewer, deputy elections director for communications in Maricopa County, says the video came from a nonpublic backup livestream camera. A source says We the People obtained the IP address years ago.
County debunks the claim, FBI investigates
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors clarified the employees were performing authorized software updates. The FBI investigated and quickly concluded there was nothing to investigate.
Conspiracy theories continue despite closure
On Thursday, Shelby Busch, founder of We The People USA Alliance, appeared on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast repeating claims and saying she contacted the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice.
What matters most
Election denial groups are spreading conspiracy theories about Maricopa County ahead of the midterms using a video obtained from a camera they accessed years ago.
