Maricopa County Supervisors reach a deal with the state Senate regarding audit information

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has reached a deal with the state Senate over the county’s computer routers. Rather than give them to a company hired by the Senate President to review the 2020 election results, the devices will go to a so-called ‘special master’.

The Board of Supervisors initially refused to turn over the routers to the Florida-based firm Cyber Ninjas, saying it could compromise non-public and sensitive law enforcement information. County Supervisor Bill Gates joined me to talk about what happens next.

“We actually didn’t turn over the routers, what this settlement agreement says, it was signed by the board and by the state Senate…instead of turning over the routers, what we’re doing is we’re giving the Senate the opportunity to ask specific questions to a special master,” Gates said.

That “special master” is former Congressman John Shadegg and he will take the questions for state Senators, and consults with IT experts and then provides the answers to the state Senators.

There have been two independent audits done before this audit was started by the state Senate. These audits weren’t done by the Maricopa County Supervisors but done by experts.

These outside expert groups found that “the machines were never connected to the internet,” Gates said.

He explained that was part of the reason they decided to pushback in sharing the routers with the state Senate after explaining that there was no evidence of internet interference.

But the biggest reason they will not turnover the routers is because they contain sensitive information, personal information about Maricopa County residents and also sensitive information about law enforcement operations.

With this deal made with the state Senate, “these routers will never get into the hands of the Cyber Ninjas,” Gates said.