Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen Calls on DOJ to Investigate Mayes, Fontes Over Election Records
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Federal Probe Request Escalates Political Feud Over 2020 Election Audit
Arizona State Senator Warren Petersen has sent a letter to the Department of Justice asking federal prosecutors to investigate Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes for obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
The request comes amid a federal grand jury investigation into 2020 election records that Petersen's legislative party released pursuant to a subpoena. Petersen claims Mayes and Fontes made misleading statements about complying with the federal subpoena for records related to a controversial audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County.
In a letter to the US Attorney for Arizona, Petersen says he received legal advice to comply with a subpoena from the FBI regarding an investigation into the 2020 election.
Petersen, who is now running for attorney general, helped oversee the Senate Republicans' election review in 2020. He revealed the subpoena through a social media post and announced his request for a federal investigation on Tuesday, April 8, 2026.
Mayes and Fontes Push Back Hard
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, released a statement criticizing the subpoena and Petersen's request for a federal probe.
Despite multiple court challenges, investigations and audits that all showed the 2020 election in Arizona was conducted fairly, transparently and securely, Warren Petersen inexplicably remains an election denier six years later. After wasting taxpayer dollars on the laughable Cyber Ninja's audit, Petersen again wasted Arizona's taxpayer dollar on a legal opinion that painstakingly tries to justify his failure to uphold Arizona's constitutional right to protect its voters' privacy. This is yet another example of Petersen desperately seeking favor from a president who cannot accept that he lost his re-election in 2020 fair and square. Arizonans will not be fooled. Unable to win in court in their efforts to seize the private data of Arizona voters, the Trump administration is attempting an end run around the rulings against them in these cases by weaponizing the federal grand jury process. It won't work. But make no mistake — this is not about 2020. This is about laying the groundwork to deny the results of the 2026 election if they don't go their way. No matter what Warren Petersen or the Trump administration have to say, I took an oath to uphold our Constitution and defend our elections and I will not be deterred from doing so.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said his office was working to identify legal options to secure personal voter information in the 2020 data that was shared with the federal government.
While Arizona State Senator Petersen continues to prioritize Donald Trump's wishes over the safety and security of Arizona's voters, I can confidently affirm that these methods of intimidation will not stop our work. My main concern for ensuring privacy of personal information in voter registration data, as required by law, remains. Our Office asked for reassurance that Arizona voters' Drivers Licenses and Tribal ID information were not exposed, but in communication with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office (MCAO), it is still unclear what personal identifying data was made available to the Arizona State Senate and subsequently the federal government. While we have been assured that voter registration information for individuals protected by court order or the address confidentiality program was not turned over to the Arizona State Senate during the audit in early 2021, the state Senate and the federal government continue to sidestep direct questions regarding which voter information may have been made available illegally. Political threats are not going to deter me from working to protect Arizona's voters.
Background on the 2020 Election Audit
The subpoena relates to an audit the Senate conducted in 2021 amid allegations that, despite official election returns, Donald Trump actually outpolled Joe Biden. Republicans at the county and state levels managed the 2020 election and all audits, recounts and reviews determined it was safe, secure and free of widespread fraud.
Stephen Richer, former Maricopa County recorder, says the 2020 election survived countless reviews. Trump's claims that his election was stolen have focused on unproven allegations of voter fraud.
The Trump administration has sued Arizona and other states to obtain voter rolls, with the apparent goal of doing its own analysis of the rolls and removing voters. The DOJ has investigated another swing county that President Trump lost in 2020 — Georgia's Fulton County.
Petersen's Political Ambitions
Petersen is now running for attorney general in 2026, which puts him in direct opposition to Mayes in the statewide race. His request for a federal investigation into Mayes and Fontes comes as he seeks to unseat Mayes in the 2026 election.
Despite multiple court challenges, investigations and audits that all showed the 2020 election in Arizona was conducted fairly, transparently and securely, Warren Petersen inexplicably remains an election denier six years later.