FBI Expands Voting Integrity Probe into Arizona, Seizes Maricopa County Election Records Amid Blank Ballot Allegations

In a significant development highlighting ongoing concerns over election integrity in battleground states, the FBI has expanded its criminal investigation into suspected voting irregularities by secretly subpoenaing a vast array of election records from Maricopa County, Arizona’s largest county. This move comes on the heels of a similar raid in Georgia and follows persistent allegations of mishandled ballots, including claims of blank ballots being improperly stored alongside voted ones in a warehouse operated by Runbeck Election Services.

Congressman Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ), representing Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, brought renewed attention to the issue in a post on X earlier today. Hamadeh noted that in June 2025, he had written to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi regarding “disturbing allegations of blank ballots commingled with voted mail ballots in Runbeck’s Maricopa County warehouse.” He described this as “part of the ongoing pattern of disastrous elections in State 48,” adding that the FBI has now seized election records as part of its expanding probe.

In June last year, Congressman Hamadeh wrote to AG Bondi about disturbing allegations of blank ballots commingled with voted mail ballots in Runbeck's Maricopa County warehouse.

Part of the ongoing pattern of disastrous elections in State 48.

The FBI has now seized election…

— Office of Congressman Abe Hamadeh (@RepAbeHamadeh) March 9, 2026

The allegations stem from multiple sources, including a 2020 audit conducted by the Arizona Senate and a more recent 2024 congressional report filed by bipartisan election observers. According to reports, the FBI obtained terabytes of electronic data, encompassing records from both the 2020 and 2024 elections, via a grand jury subpoena issued approximately a month after raiding a warehouse in Fulton County, Georgia.  

According to Just the News, sources familiar with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity due to its grand jury secrecy, indicated that the probe is examining potential violations of federal laws requiring adherence to state ballot handling protocols.

Key concerns include observations from the 2024 report, which documented blank and filled-out absentee ballots stored in the same secure location at Runbeck’s facility. The report, which includes photographs of ballots from various states, has not been publicly released but was referenced by House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) in a recent interview. Steil emphasized the committee’s collaboration with federal partners to ensure legal compliance across jurisdictions.  

Historical issues in Arizona date back over a decade, exacerbated by the state’s heavy reliance on mail-in voting. The 2020 Senate audit estimated that over 200,000 ballots with mismatched signatures may have been counted without proper review, far exceeding the county’s admitted 25,000 mismatches. 

Arizona Republicans and elected officials have voiced strong support for the investigation, viewing it as a critical step toward restoring trust in the electoral process. Arizona State Senate President Warren Petersen (R), who leads the GOP-controlled chamber, confirmed in a public statement on X that his office received and complied with the federal grand jury subpoena. Petersen stated that the FBI now possesses records from the Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County, underscoring the legislature’s cooperation in the probe. 

Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap (R), a vocal advocate for election reforms, has been at the center of related disputes. Heap has publicly clashed with the county’s Board of Supervisors over control of early voting operations, even filing a lawsuit to reclaim authority under Arizona law. In a recent shared services agreement, Heap gained oversight of voting locations, while the board retained funding responsibilities. In a broader context, Heap’s disputes highlight Republican frustrations with what they see as inadequate safeguards in Maricopa’s voting systems.

Kari Lake, the former Republican gubernatorial candidate who has long alleged irregularities in Arizona’s 2020 and 2022 elections (including her own loss to Katie Hobbs), posted directly on X in response to the development.

In her statement, Lake expressed optimism about the probe, writing: “A federal grand jury is now active and has subpoenaed Maricopa County’s election records, including from the 2024 cycle, to probe longstanding issues in State 48. So many of us have raised the alarm for years. The news of this subpoena gives me great hope that something will finally be done.”