see
url:https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/judge-rejects-senate-reasoning-refusal-maricopa-audit-records-public
see full story...Why start an audit if it isn't going to be public and
all documents made available to the public...After all it is the
taxpayer who is paying for it...
Quote<<<
A judge rejected the Arizona Senate's motion to dismiss a lawsuit
seeking the disclosure of records related to its 2020 election audit in
Maricopa County.
American Oversight, a left-leaning watchdog group, filed the lawsuit
seeking to force compliance with Arizona's Public Records Law. But
attorneys for the GOP-led Arizona Senate argued that the various
documents and donor information sought in the case are not subject to
public disclosure rules because they are held by Cyber Ninjas, a private
firm based in Florida, and its subcontractors.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Kemp said in his ruling on
Thursday, which preceded an Arizona Senate hearing on the audit's
progress, that he "completely rejects" the arguments presented by the
defendants' attorneys.
"Nothing in the statute absolves Senate defendants' responsibilities to
keep and maintain records for authorities supported by public monies by
merely retaining a third-party contractor who in turns hires
subvendors," Kemp wrote.
The judge said that allowing documents related to the audit to remain
undisclosed "would be an absurd result and undermine Arizona's strong
public policy in favor of permitting access to records reflecting
governmental activity."
So far, the Arizona Senate has disclosed that it agreed to pay Cyber
Ninjas $150,000 for a portion of the audit's cost. The rest has been
raised by donors. OANN anchor Christina Bobb
<https://twitter.com/christina_bobb/status/1394795541331070978> is
helping to raise funds through a nonprofit group, Voices and Votes
<https://voicesandvotes.org/donate/>, while covering the review as a
reporter.
>>>End of Quote
