Exclusive: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Privately Reviews Arizona Voter Fraud Evidence as Maricopa Recorder Heap’s Non-Citizen Audit Draws Federal Spotlight

As the dispute between Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (R) and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over voter roll maintenance and election system oversight continues, Arizona State Rep. John Gillette (R) says U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem traveled to the state to privately review evidence tied to those concerns on Feb 12.

In an interview with California Globe’s Matthew Holloway, Gillette confirmed that Noem met with a small group of Arizona officials and reviewed materials related to alleged voter registration irregularities and election system vulnerabilities.

“She came here — on the record — she came here to view evidence of voter fraud in Arizona and to talk about the President’s SAVE Act [Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act] because the type of voter fraud that we’re talking about would be probably 80 percent eliminated under the SAVE Act,” Gillette told the Globe.

He added, “Justin (Heap) posted online about how he removed several illegal voters, but what he didn’t talk about was the number of dead voters, the number of unqualified registrants people that have moved, lived out of state, never lived in the state of Arizona. And I think that’s what drew her here: because what he found in the current records. The meeting was very small. She wanted information — wanted to know what DHS could do for us moving forward.”

According to Gillette, federal officials confirmed that some of the materials presented during the meeting overlapped with information already known at the federal level. “They did confirm some of what we had, they already had,” he said.

Gillette: “Documented Systems Failure”

In an exclusive written statement to the California Globe, Gillette framed the concerns as systemic rather than political. “What we have uncovered is not … a political talking point; it is a documented systems failure,” Gillette said.

“We have verified cases of individuals on Arizona’s voter rolls who do not meet statutory residency requirements. We have documented automated party affiliation changes without clear voter re-registration. We have confirmed legacy MVD misclassification issues affecting documentary proof of citizenship. And in January, several counties reported that key voter roll maintenance functions inside the AVID (Arizona Voter Information Database) system were disabled for weeks.”

“When you combine automation errors, cross data integration gaps, and confirmed foreign cyber targeting, this is a systems integrity issue. Arizona voters deserve a system that is accurate, transparent, and compliant with both state law and federal requirements under HAVA. Confidence in elections is built on verification — not blind trust.”

As reported by The Globe:

Arizona faced a digital invasion that should have sent shockwaves through the halls of every election office statewide just two months ago, but it didn’t. In July 2025, pro-Iranian hackers breached the Arizona Secretary of State’s (SOS) Candidate Portal, defacing the website with anti-American propaganda and probing for deeper access to voter systems. This wasn’t just a glitch, according to Arizona Representative John Gillette (R-LD30); it’s a national security crisis, amplified by Democratic officials’ alleged stonewalling of federal oversight.

In a statement posted to X, following the meeting with Noem, Heap wrote, 

“Using the Department of Homeland Security’s SAVE database the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office has identified 60 non-citizens who previously voted in Maricopa County elections. 

As part of an effort to confirm full ballot eligibility for 61,681 Maricopa County voters affected by the “MVD-DPOC” issue, the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office conducted a review of these records using the federal SAVE database.   

That review confirmed U.S. citizenship and full ballot eligibility for 58,782 voters. Those individuals’ registrations have already been updated to ensure they are able to receive a full ballot in future elections.   

However, the review also identified 137 registered voters who are not U.S. citizens. Of those, 60 individuals have voted in prior elections. 

The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office is referring the identified non-citizens who have cast ballots to both the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for further review and any appropriate action.   

Our office extends its appreciation to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and @Sec_Noem for expanding access to the SAVE database. We look forward to continued collaboration to ensure election integrity and that only eligible citizens participate in Maricopa County elections.”

That small sample extrapolate out to Maricopa registered voter is 4000, throw another 2500 for Pima… this doesn't even include the dead, felons, moved out of state.. wait for the SOS freak out when the names and addresses are exposed. https://t.co/aL0zRrRhB9

— Rep. John Gillette AZ House LD30 (@AzRepGillette) February 14, 2026

Sharing the post on X, Gillette wrote, “That small sample extrapolate out to Maricopa registered voter is 4000, throw another 2500 for Pima… this doesn’t even include the dead, felons, moved out of state.. wait for the SOS freak out when the names and addresses are exposed.”

Ties to Heap–Board of Supervisors Conflict

Gillette’s comments come amid escalating tensions between Recorder Heap and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors over control and oversight of election systems.

Heap has publicly stated that his office identified voter registration irregularities and has sought expanded access to certain election-related systems. The Board has rejected claims of systemic breakdown, maintaining that county election processes comply with state and federal law and are subject to established audit procedures.

The reported federal review adds a new dimension to the dispute, potentially expanding the issue beyond county-level governance.

State Response

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) has consistently defended the state’s election infrastructure, stating in prior public remarks that Arizona’s systems are secure and compliant with federal requirements. His office has also emphasized that past cybersecurity incidents did not compromise ballot tabulation or election outcomes. 

Fontes pushed back on the characterization of systemic failure following Noem’s visit.

Arizona already requires DPOC and Voter ID, responsibly uses the SAVE system and we clean our voter rolls with ERIC.

Secretary Noem’s grandstanding about the integrity of Arizona’s elections is spreading misinformation. In fact, legislative Republican efforts to limit early… pic.twitter.com/h6JDZ2y8vB

— Arizona Secretary of State (@AZSecretary) February 13, 2026

Alongside a video response posted to X, Fontes wrote, “Arizona already requires DPOC and Voter ID, responsibly uses the SAVE system, and we clean our voter rolls with ERIC. Secretary Noem’s grandstanding about the integrity of Arizona’s elections is spreading misinformation. In fact, legislative Republican efforts to limit early voting options will create more polling place lines. If she wants to support some real reforms that would help voters and protect election security, check out our Voters First Act.”

Federal Context

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security classifies election infrastructure as critical infrastructure, providing cybersecurity coordination and support to state and local officials under federal law, including the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

It remains unclear whether DHS has opened a formal investigation or review related to the concerns discussed during Noem’s visit.

At this time, no federal enforcement action has been publicly announced.