PHOENIX (AP) \u2014 Newly released records show the top Republicans in Arizona\u2019s largest county dodged calls from Donald Trump and his allies in the aftermath of the 2020 election, as the then-president sought to prevent the certification of Joe Biden\u2019s victory in key battleground states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The records \u2014 including voicemails and text messages \u2014 shed light on another state where Trump, his attorneys and others mounted a behind-the-scenes pressure campaign on Republican officials overseeing elections. Days before Congress certified Biden\u2019s win on Jan. 6, Trump\u00a0pressed\u00a0Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to overturn Biden\u2019s win there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump tried to reach Clint Hickman, then the chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, on Jan. 3, shortly before midnight in Washington and hours after news broke of Trump\u2019s call with Raffensperger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello, sir. This is the White House operator I was calling to let you know that the president\u2019s available to take your call if you\u2019re free,\u201d the White House operator said in a voicemail. \u201cIf you could please give us a call back, sir, that\u2019d be great. You have a good evening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hickman told The Arizona Republic, which\u00a0first received\u00a0the records from Maricopa County, that he did not return the phone call. He said he presumed Trump would try to pressure him to change election results or discuss election conspiracies as he had done with Raffensperger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to tape a president, so I\u2019m not going to talk to a president. \u2026 I didn\u2019t want to have a very rough call to my home on a Sunday night,\u201d Hickman told the Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hickman and the rest of the Board of Supervisors, which is controlled 4-1 by Republicans, have aggressively defended the vote count in Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and 60% of Arizona\u2019s voters. They have maintained the outcome was not affected by fraud or irregularities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
State Senate Republicans used their subpoena power to take control of all 2.1 million ballots and the machines that counted them. A firm led by a Trump supporter who has shared far-fetched conspiracy theories is overseeing an audit for the Senate GOP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most aggressive pressure came from Arizona Republican Party Chairwoman Kelli Ward, who tried to convince Republicans on the board to question the election results, even as the officials tried to instill confidence in the them. At one point, she texted Hickman, \u201cWe need you to stop the counting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She tried to convince Hickman and Supervisors Steve Chucri and Bill Gates to call Trump attorney Sidney Powell, who filed lawsuits around the country alleging the election conspiracies. The lawsuits were all thrown out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early Nov. 20, when the board was scheduled to certify Maricopa County\u2019s election results, Ward texted Gates, \u201cCan we talk today now that the lawsuit is over? There are so many abnormalities that must be adjudicated. I know the Republican board doesn\u2019t want to be remembered as the entity who led the charge to certify a fraudulent election.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After sending information alleging fraud \u2014 and shortly before the board voted to accept the election results \u2014 she texted him, \u201cSounds like your fellow Repubs are throwing in the towel. Very sad. And unAmerican.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She texted Chucri, \u201cSeems you\u2019re playing for the wrong team and people will remember. WRONG team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The records also include voicemails from Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani trying to reach several of the GOP supervisors. Chucri met with Giuliani when he was in Phoenix to air Trump\u2019s baseless fraud theories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you get a chance, would you please give me a call,\u201d Giuliani said in a message to Gates. \u201cI have a few things I\u2019d like to talk over with you. Maybe we can get this thing fixed up. You know, I really think it\u2019s a shame that Republicans sort of are both in this kind of situation. And I think there may be a nice way to resolve this for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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