Twitter Has a Field Day After COVID-19 Takes Out Arizona Election Audit ‘Cyber Ninjas’
Republicans in the Arizona State Senate announced on Monday – the same day that their findings were scheduled to be submitted to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee for review – that their final audit report of the 2020 election has been delayed because its “Cyber Ninjas” have all caught the coronavirus.
Former President Donald Trump’s “big lie” that President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party, and Dominion Voting Systems stole the election from him is the entire foundation of the audit in Arizona which stands absolutely no chance of changing the results of the contest that Trump lost in a landslide.
There is no evidence – none whatsoever, zero, nothing – indicating that the 2020 election was rigged or that voter fraud impacted the outcome.
Still, Republican allies like Karen Fann, the president of the Arizona State Senate, have defended the unprecedented dissection of the ballot totals – which were certified by the state Board of Elections and the United States Congress – saying in a statement on Monday afternoon:
Today we are receiving a portion of the draft report from the election audit analysis team. The team expected to have the full draft ready for the Senate today, but unfortunately, Cyber Ninjas CEO Doug Logan and two other members of the five-person audit team have tested positive for COVID-19 and are quite sick. In addition to the illnesses, it wasn’t until Thursday that the Senate received the images of the ballot envelopes from Maricopa County and are hoping to have those analyzed as soon as possible to incorporate those results into the final report. The Senate legal team will meet Wednesday to start reviewing the draft report, and when the remainder of the draft is submitted, the Senate team will hold another meeting to continue checking for accuracy, clarity, and proof of documentation of findings. Once that is complete, the final report will be presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee and findings released to the public.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Statement from Senate President @FannKfann #AZSenate #Audit pic.twitter.com/H7xDHdRiK3
— AZSenateRepublicans (@AZSenateGOP) August 23, 2021
Almost nobody outside of right-wing propaganda circles is taking the so-called audit seriously and many suspect that today’s “unfortunate” turn of events is just another conservative stalling tactic.
They caught the hoax? Weird.
— TheSheaKitten (@SheaKitten) August 23, 2021
How is it that an election and a certification for an election take less than 1/4th the time that this so called audit does? Is it because there is no "there" There? Or is it taking this long to manufacture fiction?
— scott harshbarger (@ScottFordhealey) August 23, 2021
So what? Schools can’t shut down when they have Covid. Neither can Frauditors. Why are they hiding?
— Singleservingfriend (@SinglServngFrnd) August 23, 2021
How can they be made quite sick by a fake virus? Unless ….. 🤔
— Reinstatement Month Michael (@Merv515) August 23, 2021
I want to see Doctor's excuses or copies of hospital admittance papers. This is tooooo convenient.
— Ohio Blue Diana (@goldenpartyrent) August 23, 2021
I think you should work through this so called mild flu. It's no big deal and we should not quarantine right?
— mr. G (and the good trouble). (@invisiblelad007) August 23, 2021
This sounds like a you problem. Now, stop delaying and let’s see those lies.
— Dixieann (@Dixieann18) August 23, 2021
And we are to afraid to give our findings to trump and repugs. there goes our gig in GA.
— Ohio Blue Diana (@goldenpartyrent) August 23, 2021
With covid, the irony! So did 2 out if the 5 sneak off to get vaccinated?
— dawn (@the1stdawn) August 23, 2021
It would be far-fetched in a novel. So unbelievable that a writer wouldn't be able to earn a reader's trust. And *this* is our REALITY. #GOPCult
— PROTECT our RIGHT to VOTE🗽✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼 (@CivilitySpeaks) August 23, 2021
Twitter really served it.
"I went looking for fraud and all I got was this lousy avoidable virus."
— Ugh (@ContrarySarie) August 23, 2021
Why not just claim a stroke like Dennis Montgomery.
Or that a panda ate your homework.
— 🇺🇸Fully vaxed. Thank you Science. 🇺🇸 (@eturleye) August 23, 2021
You forgot the link to donate 😂
— Tim 🎶 (@Tim_Loves_Music) August 23, 2021
They should rename the company Cyber Clowns.
— NICKinNOVA (@NICKinNOVA) August 23, 2021
Karma is a bitch.
— Gabe CK (@GabeCK0707) August 23, 2021
"We can't finish running this scam until the people who are helping us run this scam recover from that thing we earlier told you was a scam but turns out to be very real."
— Don Dingee (@don_dingee) August 23, 2021
— тнєяєѕα 🕊мαяιє (@theresasarcasm) August 23, 2021
Here’s the report, got an advance copy. pic.twitter.com/9Df6lyz1Nz
— Pauline Criel (@pecriel) August 23, 2021