CNN —
One of two rural Arizona county supervisors facing criminal charges for refusing to review interim 2022 results pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor charge of neglecting their duties as election officials.
Cochise County Supervisor Peggy Judd’s guilty plea, which came two weeks before the Nov. 5 general election, could put other Arizona counties under renewed pressure from election conspiracy theorists not to certify their results. Some saw it as a warning to staff.
“Mr. Judd’s formal guilty plea represents an important development in ensuring the integrity of elections in Arizona,” said Thomas, former mayor of Tucson, Arizona, and professor at the University of Arizona who specializes in democratic processes. Volgy said. “It should be a loud wake-up call to county elected officials that they cannot manipulate the voting intentions of Arizonans for cheap partisan gain.”
Peter Bondy, managing director of the nonprofit Informing Democracy, said in a statement that Judd’s petition is “a clear reminder that certification requirements are not optional, and that every election official must comply with the will of voters.” It should discourage any attempt to subvert it.”
“This is a victory for democracy, the rule of law, and most importantly for every voter voting this year,” Bondi said.
Judd avoided the possibility of a felony charge by entering a consensual plea in Maricopa County Superior Court, where the criminal case was filed. Judd was sentenced to 90 days of unsupervised probation and must pay a fine of up to $500, said Chris Mays, a spokesman for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
Judd’s attorney, Kurt Altman, said: “I have no particular comment to make, other than that she is very happy to put this behind her.”
Judd and Tom Crosby, a Republican on the three-member board, were charged last year with felony counts of conspiracy and interfering with election officials after delaying campaign efforts. A third member of the board, Democrat Ann Crosby, had voted to certify the election. Cochise County’s results were ultimately certified past the deadline after a judge ordered Judd and Crosby to fulfill their legal obligations.
Cochise County’s results were ultimately certified past the deadline after a judge ordered Judd and Crosby to fulfill their legal obligations.
“Any attempt to interfere with Arizona’s elections will not be tolerated,” Mays said in a statement after filing the petition. “My office will continue to pursue justice and ensure that anyone who undermines our election system is held accountable.
“Today’s plea agreement and sentence should serve as a strong reminder that I will not hesitate to use every tool available to me to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of Arizona’s elections.” she added.
Mr. Judd and Mr. Crosby had sought to require hand counting of all ballots in the county amid a chaotic public hearing that lasted several hours and was rife with conspiracy theories about voting integrity. He also questioned the accuracy of vote tabulation machines. The Republican Party lost to the Democratic Party in the gubernatorial and attorney general elections in November 2022.
Crosby is still scheduled to go to trial on the charges in January and is running for re-election in November. Mr. Judd was not seeking re-election. Reached via email Monday, Crosby did not appear to be aware of Judd’s plea, but did not respond to a request for comment on it.
Arizona was once a reliably Republican state, but in recent years, Democrats have increased their influence, especially in urban areas like Phoenix, and the state has become a popular state for people to move from other states in search of more jobs. The number of people coming to the city is increasing, making it one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
