The Justice Department has issued subpoenas to two Arizona state legislators who supported former President Donald Trump’s election falsifications. Federal investigators are intensifying their investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection.
According to Kim Quintero (a spokesperson for Arizona Senate Republicans), Karen Fann, Arizona Senate President, and Kelly Townsend, both Republicans received subpoenas matching the FBI’s on June 21.
Quintero, who was a witness to Quintero’s email Friday, stated that the subpoenas are for information about the Justice Department investigation into the Capitol riot of Jan. 6.
Quintero stated that Senator Townsend and President Fann are fully cooperating to release any emails or text messages they request. “We don’t believe they will be called for testimony in Washington D.C.”
The subpoenas were first reported by the Yellow Sheet Report, an Arizona political newsletter.
Quintero claims that both legislators were given a deadline of next week to comply. Staff members have already identified thousands of records from constituents in response to Quintero’s request. Quintero declined details.
NBC News reached out to Fann’s and Townsend offices for comment.
The subpoenas were issued the same day that Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers gave evidence before the congressional committee looking into the Capitol riot. Bowers, a Republican, stated to the Jan. 6 committee, that Trump and Rudy Giuliani had pressed the state Legislature for a different slate of electors. This was despite the fact that Trump was already the Republican governor. Doug Ducey had certified Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Fann’s emails, which include more than 500 pages, were made public by a watchdog group that has ties to Democrats. These emails contained references to “numerous discussions” with Giuliani as a response to constituents who were unhappy about the outcome of the 2020 presidential elections in the state.
Fann also claimed in emails that Trump called her personally and ordered an election review of 2020 results. Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based cybersecurity firm, was assigned by the GOP state senators to conduct a highly criticized partisan review in Maricopa, Arizona’s largest county. The firm eventually concluded that Biden had won the county with a slightly greater margin than was officially recorded.
Trump lost Arizona by less that 10,500 votes.
Townsend was a former chairwoman of the elections panel in the state House before she became a senator last spring. She introduced legislation in January 2021 for 11 alternate electors to be appointed by the state. According to the bill, the president’s election was marred by “irregularities so significant that it renders it highly doubtful that the certified results accurately reflect the will of voters”.
According to the Justice Department, federal prosecutors are investigating the legal ramifications of those who helped push fake Electoral College members’ slates declaring Trump winner in states where Biden won.
The Jan. 6 committee presented documents and testimony last month that show Trump’s team plotted to reverse the 2020 election. They organized slates of fake electors in seven states including Arizona.
