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By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
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President Donald Trump praised an FBI subpoena targeting Arizona’s 2020 election audit records, as a state official said federal investigators had obtained documents tied to a long‑disputed review.
Newsweek contacted the FBI’s Phoenix field office and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Federal scrutiny of Arizona’s 2020 election audit revives debates Trump has repeatedly pushed, even though multiple reviews and investigations have found no evidence of fraud that would have changed the outcome.
Read More on Politics
Actions by the DOJ and FBI are drawing sharp criticism from Democratic officials who warn of political pressure on election administration ahead of future contests.
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What To Know
A federal grand jury has subpoenaed records connected to the Arizona State Senate’s review of Maricopa County’s 2020 presidential election, Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen said on Monday, March 9.
Petersen, a Republican, said he complied with the subpoena late last week and turned over the requested materials to the FBI, emphasizing that the records came from the Legislature rather than county election offices.
Trump highlighted the development on his Truth Social platform after a report circulated online claiming federal agents had seized voting data from Maricopa County, calling the news "Great!!!"
County officials quickly disputed those claims, saying Maricopa County itself had not received a subpoena and no election materials were taken from local election administrators.
"Maricopa County runs elections in accordance with the law. We have not received a subpoena at this time but will cooperate if that were to occur," Jason Berry, a spokesperson for Maricopa County, said.
And Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has also criticized the move. Petersen is running for attorney general and would face Mayes in the general election if he wins the GOP nomination in July.
The subpoena is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to revisit the 2020 election, an outcome Trump continues to falsely claim was rigged against him.
Maricopa County has long been a focal point for conspiracy theories about voter fraud, despite repeated audits and court rulings rejecting those allegations.
Arizona officials stressed that elections in the state are administered under existing law and oversight, and that previous reviews found no evidence of widespread fraud capable of changing the 2020 result.
Trump and his allies pressured Republican lawmakers in Arizona to conduct a partisan review of Maricopa County’s 2020 results after he lost the state to Joe Biden.
That review, completed in 2021, confirmed Biden’s victory.
What People Are Saying
Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen wrote on X on March 9: "President Trump is 100 percent correct.
"Late last week, I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County. The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news."
Calli Jones, a spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, said in a statement: "Our office is also attempting to track down accurate information and remains committed to providing whatever support necessary to our counties to ensure they can stay focused and provide a secure and reliable 2026 election to voters despite antiquated systems and historic underfunding."
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, said: "What the Trump administration appears to be pursuing now is not a legitimate law enforcement inquiry. It is the weaponization of federal law enforcement in service of crackpots and lies."
Katie Hobbs, who was Secretary of State in 2020, wrote on X: "The FBI’s reckless actions are an attack on Arizonans and undermine our rights as voters," adding that "Arizonans are tired of election conspiracies and lies that undermine our democracy."
What Happens Next
Attention is likely to turn to whether the DOJ expands its inquiry beyond legislative records or seeks additional election data from other states that Trump lost in 2020.
State and county election officials are preparing for the 2026 midterms amid heightened scrutiny, while Democratic leaders signal they will continue challenging any federal actions they view as politically motivated.
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