Arizona newspaper takes state Senate, Cyber Ninjas to court for audit info

Arizona’s leading newspaper is suing the state Senate and a digital contractor in a bid to obtain information about the GOP-backed audit of the 2020 election results in Maricopa County. 

The Arizona Republic reported Thursday it has “filed a special action in Maricopa County Superior Court seeking financial records and communications about the audit from the [Arizona] Senate and Cyber Ninjas,” the company carrying out the audit.

Arizona Republicans, former President Trump and his allies have alleged that fraud took place in the state’s largest county, but the nature of the audit, who is conducting the work and who is paying for it have remained largely secret. 

The Republic earlier this year requested the same information through the Arizona Public Records Law but was denied, triggering the lawsuit filed this week.

“Arizona law entitles the public to know how this audit is being conducted and funded,” David Bodney, a lawyer representing the newspaper, said Wednesday. “And the Arizona public records law does not permit the Senate to play ‘hide the ball’ by delegating core responsibilities to a third party like Cyber Ninjas and concealing records of government activities and public expenditures in Cyber Ninjas’ files.”