Details have been released by the Arizona Secretary of State documenting "camo clad men" and vigilante "watchers" hiding in bushes to surveil the state’s ballot boxes ahead of the midterms, sparking complaints of voter intimidation.
On Friday, a spokesperson for the Arizona Secretary of State’s office released a collection of complaints detailing run-ins voters had with vigilante "ballot watchers." The Daily Beast obtained copies of the complaints.
The documents include claims that "camo clad" men were spying on voters through binoculars and that others were taking photos of their license plates. One complaint claimed that a watcher called the voters "mules," likely a reference to right-wing filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza’s widely debunked "2,000 Mules" movie that alleges a group of "mules" dumped illegal ballots in swing state drop boxes to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump.
"I have never been more intimidated in my life tring [sic] to vote and standing only 3 feet from the box," one complaint read. "…Now that [they] have my information will they show up at my house … Do I need to worry about my family being killed now if the results are not what they wanted?"
Under Arizona law, electioneers and monitors must remain further than 75 feet away from a voting location, though many complaints made to the state suggest that rule was being violated.
The Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans attempted to sue one of the organisations deploying the monitors, Clean Elections USA, to stop the monitors, but a US District Court Judge ruled against them in late October, saying any injunction would violate the First Amendment.
The judge, Michael Liburdi, is a Trump appointee and a member of the conservative Federalist Society.
"Plaintiffs have not provided the Court with any evidence that Defendants’ conduct constitutes a true threat," the judge wrote. "On this record, Defendants have not made any statements threatening to commit acts of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals."
However, at least one email contained within the Secretary of State’s trove includes a threatening email directed to "ALL Corrupt and Treasonous Government Officials."
"If you C*** Lickers continue to f*** with the integrity of the election I guarantee you, We the People will remove you from office … Additionally, if you own a home …. We will find you through the Tax Assessors Website… Remember the French revolution of 1799??" the email read.
In light of the new information, Mr Liburdi issued a restraining order against Clean Elections USA, prohibiting its members from "openly" carrying weapons or "visibly wearing body armour" within 250 feet of drop boxes.
The order also bars members from taking photos, recording, following, or yelling at voters within 75 feet of drop box locations.
Mr Liburdi also forced the group’s leader, Melody Jennings, to post a message to her account on Mr Trump’s Truth Social app stating that "it is not always illegal to deposit multiple ballots in a ballot drop box. It is legal to deposit the ballot of a family member, household member, or person for whom you are the caregiver."
Last week, Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is running for governor against MAGA candidate Kari Lake, said her office referred six reports of possible voter intimidation to the state attorney general’s office and the US Justice Department.
