Phoenix, AZ – Following the Maricopa County Recorder Chief of Staff, Sam Stone, posting to social media alleging an upcoming civil war and other highly politicized social media posts, the Maricopa Board of County Supervisors has raised concerns about his behavior. In response, Recorder Justin Heap has not only failed to condemn his staffer’s actions but has also used the Board of County Supervisors’ concern about the incident to attempt to remove the checks and balances the Board of Supervisors put in place for his office in their ongoing legal dispute. In response, All Voting is Local Arizona State Director Alex Gulotta issued the following statement:
“Recorder Heap must resign immediately. His behavior at this Board of Supervisors meeting, along with his failure to condemn his staffer’s violent political rhetoric and the politicization of his office, is disqualifying. Election officials must support free and fair elections, be transparent and accountable to voters, and remain nonpartisan. Heap has accomplished none of those.
“This is not the time to allow public officials, whose duty is to the Constitution and the people they serve, to use their offices for corrupt and dangerous ends. We are already seeing the ways President Trump has weaponized the Department of Justice against the American people in Minneapolis and just yesterday in Georgia with the FBI’s seizure of election-related materials in Fulton County, an action which was based on nothing more than a political vendetta. These are the forces that Recorder Heap and this staffer have aligned themselves with, and it is clear that the people of Arizona can no longer trust that they will protect our constitutional right to vote ahead of the 2026 midterms, where pressure to undermine the state’s authority to run their elections free from federal interference is rising.”
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All Voting is Local (“All Voting”) is a 501(c)(3), nonpartisan organization that fights on the ground in eight states for free and fair elections. All Voting advocates state and local officials for policies and practices that ensure the American people choose their leaders, not the other way around. All Voting works year-round with our partners to prevent partisan interference in our elections, advance fair and inclusive rules on voter registration, and remove barriers that make it more difficult for people to vote – particularly for Black, Brown, Native American, and other historically marginalized communities. Learn more at www.AllVotingisLocal.org.