Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap defeated Stephen Richer in the Republican Primary in July 2024

In October of 2024, former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer entered into an agreement with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (Board) to shift certain election duties away from the Recorder’s office and to the Board.  This was done months after Justin Heap defeated Richer in the July 30th, 2024, Republican Primary for Maricopa County Recorder, and one month before Heap won the November 5th election to succeed Richer.

The agreement was unanimous and gave the Board control over early ballot processing, including the appointment of a bipartisan board responsible for overseeing the early voting process.  The agreement also centralized election-related information technology (IT) functions, as well as the $5 million budget associated with the IT service.

Following the agreement’s approval on October 10th, KJZZ Phoenix reported:

The agreement, unanimously approved by the board on Oct. 10, gives the Board of Supervisors the authority to appoint the board that processes early ballots, which includes an inspector and two judges from different political parties. According to the Election Procedures Manual, those boards examine, count and verify early ballots before they are tabulated. That includes opening envelopes, ensuring the ballot envelopes show the correct election code and identifying damaged ballots.

…

Under the previous shared services agreement adopted in 2023, the recorder managed early ballot processing.

Under the new agreement, the Recorder’s Office will retain other election-related responsibilities, including voter registration, planning and administering early voting and signature verification of early ballots.

However, the Board of Supervisors also voted to move the recorder’s information technology staff and its associated $5 million budget under its supervision, including “any IT-related service necessary for the Recorder to effectively perform its elections or business-related responsibilities as designated.

Upon assuming office, Heap cancelled the contract and called on the newly seated Board of Supervisors to renegotiate.  In a statement posted to the Maricopa County Recorder’s website, Heap suggested he would take legal action over “the Supervisors’ unwillingness to address these concerns.”

Heap did take legal action, and yesterday a Maricopa County Superior Court judge sided with the Recorder’s position.

According to the Court’s decision, the authority was delegated to a county’s recorder or an “other officer in charge of elections.”  But the order also stated that, “The recorder may subsequently withdraw his or her consent and reclaim his or her statutory authority or responsibility.”

The judge ordered that the Board of Supervisors “return to the Recorder’s direct custody and/or control the IT staff, servers, databases, software, websites, and equipment that were in the Recorder’s custody…prior to October of 2024…” and enjoined the Board of Supervisors “from further exercising any election functions delegated by the Legislature to the Recorder.”

The Board of Supervisors had argued that it had the authority to control funding and structure operations of the Recorder’s office, however, the judge rejected that claim, finding that the Board of Supervisors has a “non-discretionary duty to fund all reasonable and necessary expenses of the Recorder as set forth in Title 16 of Arizona Revised Statutes.”

“In a decisive ruling issued April 16, 2026, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge found that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors overstepped its authority in its ongoing dispute with Recorder Justin Heap, ordering the Board to restore key election functions and resources…

— Jennifer Asper (@j3669) April 17, 2026

The post Big Win! Maricopa Superior Court Judge Orders Board of Supervisors to Restore Key Election Functions to Recorder’s Office appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Federal prosecutors made a surprise visit Tuesday to the construction site of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation project.

Workers at the site refused to admit them, saying they did not have clearance in advance of the visit, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The $2.5 billion project has been under review by the administration, and the prosecutors came from the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

“Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80 percent over the original construction budget deserves some serious review,” Pirro said in a statement.

“And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?” she asked.

Robert Hur, an attorney representing the Fed, said prosecutors Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden appeared “without prior notice” and sought a tour to check the work’s progress.

President Donald Trump has praised Pirro “for having the courage” to investigate the Fed.

As noted by ABC News, Trump has continually pushed for lower interest rates and also sparred with Fed Chair Jerome Powell about the cost of the $2.5 billion building project.

On Wednesday, Trump said he would fire Powell due to the economist’s “incompetence” if Powell does not leave when his term ends in May.

Trump has nominated former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, according to Fox Business.

“I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial, you know?” he said in a Fox Business interview.

Trump said the renovation project involved a “building that I would have done for $25 million that’s going to cost maybe $4 billion.”

“Don’t you think we have to find out what happened there?” he asked.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has threatened to oppose Warsh’s confirmation.

When asked about Warsh’s chances, he said, “We’re going to have to find out [if he will be confirmed]. He might not, but that’s why Thom Tillis is no longer a senator.”

Tillis is not seeking re-election.

“He’s on his way out… and I think he doesn’t want the legacy of stopping a great person who could be great… I know he said what he said, and maybe it’s true, in which case I’ll have to live with it,” Trump said.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

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President Trump and John Eastman (Credit: White House)

President Trump’s 2020 election lawyer John Eastman was officially disbarred in Californian on Wednesday.

The California Supreme Court affirmed that Eastman was disbarred after a two-year battle with the state bar.

CBS News reported:

John Eastman, Chapman Law School’s former dean, lost his law license after he allegedly helped President Trump try to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

“After extensive proceedings before the State Bar Court’s Hearing and Review Departments, both of which found Mr. Eastman culpable of serious ethical violations, the Court has imposed the discipline warranted by the clear and convincing evidence that he advanced false claims about the 2020 presidential election to mislead courts, public officials, and the American public,” said State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona.

The California Supreme Court affirmed Eastman’s disbarment two years after the State Bar found him culpable of 10 disciplinary charges, claiming he engaged in misconduct by allegedly helping Trump try to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Eastman was disbarred in April 2024 after a judge ruled he should have his law license stripped for challenging the 2020 election.

John Eastman previously asked a California judge to pause the disbarment ruling, citing massive legal fees.

Eastman faced disbarment in California for ‘undermining democracy’ by trying to ‘overturn the presidential election.’

The January 6 Committee sent the feds after John Eastman because he dared to take action against the Democrats and their massive election fraud operation in 2020.

Recall, Eastman was previously ambushed by the FBI as he was exiting a restaurant in New Mexico.

John Eastman was exiting a restaurant with his wife and friend in June 2022 when FBI agents ambushed him and “forced” him to unlock his phone.

The federal agents then took Eastman’s iPhone 12 Pro.

WATCH:

Tucker Carlson Showing Footage Of The FBI Seizing John Eastman's Phone pic.twitter.com/eE6J9fmvJZ

— The Columbia Bugle (@ColumbiaBugle) June 28, 2022

Eastman was also indicted by Fani Willis and charged with counts 1-2 (RICO and Solicitation of Violation of Oath by Public Officer), 9 (Conspiracy to Commit Impersonating a Public Officer), 11 (Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree), 13 (Conspiracy to Commit False Statements), 15 (Conspiracy to Commit Filing False Documents), 17 (Conspiracy to Commit Forgery in the First Degree), 19 (Conspiracy to Commit False Statements and Writings), 27 (Filing False Documents).

On Wednesday, two years after Eastman challenged his disbarment, the California Supreme Court affirmed he lost his law license.

The California Supreme Court sent a clear and terrorizing message:

If attorneys represent disfavored political candidates who challenge disputed elections, California will disbar them.

While this happens in failed third-world countries, this should never happen in America. https://t.co/AuMtAULoIy

— Mike Davis (@mrddmia) April 15, 2026

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