The auditors tasked by the Arizona State Senate to recount Maricopa County’s 2020 election results are now analyzing ballots in search of bamboo fibers. John Brakey, an official overseeing the audit, explained in an interview Tuesday that he and his team are investigating a rumor that 40,000 of Maricopa County’s ballots were shipped from Asia.
“There are accusations that 40,000 ballots were flown into Arizona and it was stuffed into the box. And it came from the southeast part of the world, Asia, ok? And what they’re doing is to find out if there’s bamboo in the paper,” Brakey told CBS5 News on Tuesday.
The Justice Department recently took an interest in the Arizona recount with Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Pamela Karlan penning a letter saying the recount may violate federal law.
“We have a concern that Maricopa County election records, which are required by federal law to be retained and preserved, are no longer under the ultimate control of elections officials, are not being adequately safeguarded by contractors, and are at risk of damage or loss,” Karlan wrote in her letter to Arizona State Senate President Karen Fann (R). Karlan is referencing the fact that the Republican-led State Senate handed confidential election materials over to the private tech firm Cyber Ninjas, likely in violation of election laws.
