Trump Administration Widens Probe of 2020 Election, Obtains Arizona Records

Federal grand jury subpoenas state Senate records related to controversial 2020 election audit

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The Trump administration has widened its investigation into the 2020 presidential election, obtaining records from Arizona related to a controversial audit of the election in Maricopa County. The Republican leader of the Arizona state Senate, Warren Petersen, said he complied with a federal grand jury subpoena and handed over the records to the FBI.

Why it matters

The move marks the latest sign that the Trump administration is acting on the former president's longstanding false claims about the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. It comes as the Justice Department has clashed with some states over access to detailed voter data, raising concerns about potential voter roll purges.

The details

Petersen said he complied 'late last week' with the subpoena for records related to the audit ordered by Republican lawmakers in Arizona. The audit, conducted by the firm Cyber Ninjas, explored conspiracy theories but ultimately found that Biden received 360 more votes than the certified results in Maricopa County. Previous nonpartisan reviews found no significant problems with the 2020 election in the county.

  • Petersen complied with the federal grand jury subpoena late last week.
  • The FBI seized ballots and other records from Georgia's Fulton County in January 2023 after the Justice Department sought a search warrant.

The players

Warren Petersen

The Republican leader of the Arizona state Senate who complied with the federal grand jury subpoena.

Kris Mayes

The Democratic Arizona Attorney General who issued a scathing statement criticizing Petersen and the Trump administration's actions.

Donald Trump

The former president whose false claims about the 2020 election being 'stolen' have driven the ongoing investigations.

Joe Biden

The Democratic candidate who won the 2020 presidential election.

Cyber Ninjas

The firm hired by Republican lawmakers in Arizona to conduct a flawed, biased audit of the 2020 election that ultimately found Biden received more votes than the certified results.

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What they’re saying

“Warren Petersen knows all of this. He has known it for years. He spread false stories of election fraud in 2020, and he remains an unrepentant election denier.”

— Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General

“What the Trump administration appears to be pursuing now is not a legitimate law enforcement inquiry. It is the weaponization of federal law enforcement in service of crackpots and lies.”

— Kris Mayes, Arizona Attorney General

What’s next

The FBI has the records obtained from the federal grand jury subpoena, but it is unclear what further actions they may take as part of this widening investigation into the 2020 election.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to undermine confidence in the 2020 election results, despite multiple audits, investigations, and court rulings finding no evidence of widespread fraud. It raises concerns about the potential misuse of federal law enforcement for political purposes.