Arizona's Secretary of State 'stripped' of duties after criticizing election audit

After publicly expressing "grave concerns" over Arizona's audit of the 2020 election results, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) was "stripped" of her ability to "defend election lawsuits" by the state's Republican-led House Appropriations Committee, reported Arizona's ABC 15 on Tuesday. The duty was transferred "exclusively" to Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) through the end of the 2023 fiscal year.

Democrats say the move is retaliation against Hobbs' defense of Arizona voters in "lawsuits filed by the State Republican Party and others challenging Arizona's election results," per ABC 15. "It can't be just a coincidence" that Republicans are blocking a "vocal critic of the audit," writes Elvia Díaz for azcentral.com. Democratic State Rep. Randy Friese reportedly called the move "troubling," "disturbing," and "quite nefarious."

Furthermore, the Appropriations Committee removed Hobb's "oversight of the Capitol Museum," ABC 15 reports, after Hobbs angered state lawmakers when she "flew a gay pride flag from the building's balcony" in 2019.

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In an article for azfamily.com, Hobbs labeled the entire audit "a political stunt," adding that it is "dangerous to people's safety and to the integrity of our democracy."

She later tweeted a photo on Tuesday of a fruit basket sent by Stacey Abrams and Fair Fight, saying that's how "you know you're doing it right."

Read more at azfamily.com.