Arizona Senators Kelly, Gallego Call on DHS to End 2020 Election Investigation
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WASHINGTON — Arizona U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego are calling on the Department of Homeland Security to abandon its investigation into the state's 2020 presidential election, calling it a "sham investigation" designed to attack election officials and suppress voting rights.
The senators wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Thursday, arguing the probe wastes valuable resources and misdirects Homeland Security Investigations from its core mission.
Core Argument
"As an investigative branch, HSI is tasked with investigating crimes like drug trafficking, human smuggling, and child exploitation," the senators wrote. "Investigating unfounded claims of voter fraud is not part of the agency's mission and wastes valuable skills that should be used to keep Americans safe."
The request comes shortly after then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited Arizona in February to make unsubstantiated claims about the state's elections, which The Atlantic reported was followed by the announcement of an investigation.
Evidence of Fair Election
Kelly and Gallego pointed out that the over a dozen court cases, post-election audits and the Arizona Senate's own review also concluded the 2020 election was fair.
The senators accused DHS of engaging in a "sham investigation" to rehash President Trump's false claims that fraud led to his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.
"It is clear that this sham investigation is just another attempt to attack, harass, intimidate, and coerce election officials in Arizona, to suppress the right to vote of Arizonans, and to call into question the integrity of Arizona's electoral system, which has consistently proven to be secure," the senators wrote.
Request for Documentation
Gallego and Kelly asked DHS to provide them with a litany of records related to the investigation, including:
- All communications with Arizona officials
- The number of agents assigned to the inquiry
- What investigations those agents were assigned to before being redirected to the election investigation, including those related to child exploitation, cyber intrusions, human trafficking, drug smuggling, domestic extremism, terrorism financing and violent crime
Attorney General Involvement
Attorney General Kris Mayes' office confirmed she turned over public records to DHS Homeland Security Investigations, including a report by her predecessor, Mark Brnovich, reviewing the Arizona Senate's flawed review of the 2020 election.
Context
The investigation began after then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem visited Arizona in February 2026 to make unsubstantiated claims about the state's 2020 election. Noem had previously made similar claims during her tenure, which drew criticism from election officials and legal experts.
The investigation has drawn scrutiny from Arizona officials who argue it undermines confidence in the state's electoral system and wastes federal resources that could be better deployed on actual crime prevention and national security threats.
Election Security
Arizona has maintained a reputation for election security and integrity. The state conducted one of the most thorough post-election audits in recent election history, which confirmed the accuracy of certified results.
The state's election officials have consistently rejected claims of widespread fraud, and multiple courts have upheld Arizona's election results as accurate and legitimate.
Sources:
- KJZZ: "Arizona Sens. Kelly, Gallego call on DHS to end 2020 election investigation" (April 10, 2026)
- Votebeat: Reporting on emails between HSI and the Arizona Attorney General's Office
- The Atlantic: Reporting on the announcement of the DHS election investigation
- Arizona Daily Independent: Coverage of statewide ballot measures