Heap Triumphs in Maricopa + Announcements
There’s plenty of good news to be found if you look for it
Happy Saturday, friends. Rachel and I are in the Idaho Panhandle for an election integrity event in Coeur d’Alene and enjoying a break from the heat. I have written several times this year about the corruption in Maricopa County (you can’t spell Maricopa without “RICO”), particularly with regard to the Maricopa Board of Supervisors attempting to strong-arm the duly elected recorder Justin Heap and take away many of his critical responsibilities for cleaning up the county’s elections:
While we are used to having issues with courts failing to make the right calls, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney got it right. PBS has a good summary of the decision:
Justin Heap, the Republican recorder in Maricopa County, sued the predominantly Republican county board of supervisors last summer alleging it had illegally taken control of certain aspects of election administration. Heap claimed the board transferred funding, IT staff and some key functions — including management of ballot drop boxes and establishing early voting sites — away from his office through an agreement negotiated with his predecessor, whom he had recently defeated in a GOP primary.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney mostly sided with Heap’s office in his ruling, which was filed Thursday but appeared on the public docket Friday. The board of supervisors “acted unlawfully and exceeded its statutory authority by seizing the Recorder’s personnel, systems and equipment and refusing to return them” to the recorder, he wrote.
Blaney also ruled that the recorder’s office is responsible for overseeing in-person early voting, among other duties, while the board is responsible for other operations, such as selecting Election Day voting locations, supplying polling locations and hiring poll workers.
“The Board’s assertion of plenary authority over election administration through its general supervisory powers is inconsistent with Arizona law,” the judge wrote.
Heap called it a “clear and decisive victory for the rule of law”:
“The court confirmed that the Board cannot override state law, use funding as leverage, or take control of election duties assigned to the Recorder. This ruling restores both the authority and the resources necessary for my office to do its job.”
Hopefully, with a third of his term now elapsed thanks to the scrap with the Vichy GOP-led board, Heap can now finish his copy of The American War on Election Corruption and get back to eliminating as much corruption as possible for as long as he has to do the job.
Legislative Book Update
There has a been a strong response to my idea for outfitting as many key state officials and legislators as possible with The American War on Election Corruption, and I will have some exciting news on the responses soon. If you want to sponsor copies for your delegations, contact me so I can update this chart:
Eastern U.S. Book Tour, May 1-8
I will be on east at the beginning of May for eight book events. Seven of those are open to the public:
May 1 - The Villages, FL
May 2 - Gulf Breeze, FL
May 3 - Baton Rouge, LA
May 4 - Forsyth County, GA (flyer forthcoming)
May 5 - Carteret County, NC (private event)
May 6 - Bridgewater Township, NJ (flyer forthcoming)
May 7 - Forest Park, PA (flyer forthcoming)
May 8 - Butler County, PA (flyer forthcoming)
Substack Live
Please check your inbox from earlier this morning for a link to today’s Substack Live, starting at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. I’ll catch you all up on the news from my point of view and take questions.
As always, thank you so much for your support of my newsletter and your commitment to the cause of liberty. I remain in the fight and grateful for you all.
Seth Keshel, MBA, a former Army Captain of Military Intelligence and Afghanistan veteran, is the author of The American War on Election Corruption. His analytical method of election forecasting and analytics is known worldwide, and he has been commended by President Donald J. Trump for his work in the field.
Thank God, we have you on our side. Keep up the great work!!!!
Finally, a good court decision.
Bless you, Captain K!