Criminal probe follows scanner theft fight in Maricopa

A Maricopa County election equipment dispute between Recorder Justin Heap and the board of supervisors has escalated into a criminal investigation, with a special prosecutor brought in after armed sheriff’s deputies appeared at the homes of three recorder’s of

By the time the sheriff’s deputies showed up, the argument inside Maricopa County election offices had stopped feeling like a paperwork fight.

Recorder Justin Heap’s request for court action after armed enforcement at the homes of three employees has now put the alleged theft of ballot-counting equipment into the hands of a special prosecutor. tightening a power struggle that has been playing out for months between Heap and a majority GOP county board.

At the center of the conflict is an allegation that employees within the recorder’s office improperly removed election equipment and ballot-related materials from a secure county facility. The board of supervisors says the removal was caught on closed-circuit television during a local election—when workers were seen taking a scanner and provisional ballot envelopes from the county’s vote tabulation headquarters.

Debbie Lesko, a Maricopa County supervisor, reacted with disbelief to the claims, saying, “This is just kind of insane,” in remarks to AZ Family.

Heap, meanwhile, has insisted the scanner was meant to be in his possession. He argues it belongs to his office and has framed the episode as part of a broader struggle over who controls election operations in Maricopa County.

The dispute didn’t stay confined to the boardroom or the recorder’s office. It has moved into court and prompted a criminal investigation that investigators are still working through.

The emergency filing came as Heap wrote that he had filed an emergency motion with the court after armed sheriff’s deputies appeared at the homes of three Recorder’s Office employees and informed them they were under criminal investigation. He posted the account on X. writing: “I filed an emergency motion with the Court after armed sheriff’s deputies appeared at the homes of three Recorder’s Office employees and informed them they were under criminal investigation.”.

Heap’s office maintains the employees committed no wrongdoing. It also argues the criminal investigation is tied to a larger contest over election authority in the county.

Board members disagree sharply, and they have placed their own account of the incident on record through posts on X.

Lesko described what she said was visible on video: “What I saw on video was Justin Heap’s chief information officer taking an election machine out of an election building. putting it in what seems to be a private truck. hauling it off over to the recorder’s office.” She added that the scanner was later replaced after officials weren’t sure what the recorder’s office employees did with it. placing the replacement cost at $70. 000.

In the most recent legal filing, Heap’s claim has remained consistent: that he wanted possession of the scanner and that it belongs to his office. GOP board members have disputed that position.

A special prosecutor is now involved. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell initially led the investigation but recused herself because she represents both the recorder’s office and the board of supervisors.

Former Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer was brought in after that recusal. Volkmer told Votebeat he was hired in April to investigate and said the investigation is now “wrapping up.” He has not shared many details of the active investigation. but he said he is looking to determine whether there was any “criminal behavior.”.

The equipment dispute is only one flashpoint in a longer campaign over control of election operations in Maricopa County.

Heap, described in the reporting as a Republican election head who questioned the validity of the 2020 general election and backed by a majority GOP county board, has clashed repeatedly with supervisors over who holds authority over key election functions.

Heap sued supervisors over election powers. and a court ruled in his favor. ordering the board to move several election-related functions back to Heap’s office. The judge’s ruling. as described in the reporting. was that any election duties included in any law that mentions the recorder’s office belong to the recorder’s office. and the same applies to duties that mention the board.

That legal fight has continued to ripple into day-to-day election decisions. The two sides have argued over whether poll workers should tell voters they don’t need to show identification at voting sites. Just last month, they sparred over ballot drop boxes.

Heap’s attorney said election workers could be jailed for setting up any drop boxes approved by the board but not approved by the recorder’s office.

All of this is landing with urgency as Arizona prepares for its primary elections set for July 21.

The criminal investigation now adds a different kind of pressure to a battle already defined by court orders, closed-circuit footage, and competing claims about what belongs where—and who has the right to touch the machinery of democracy.

Maricopa County Arizona Justin Heap Debbie Lesko Maricopa County Board of Supervisors criminal investigation scanner provisional ballot envelopes Rachel Mitchell Kent Volkmer special prosecutor election equipment July 21 primaries