Sec State drops bombshell: Audit could force Arizona to replace voting machines given to Cyber Ninjas

The controversial audit of the 2020 presidential election by Arizona Republicans could end up costing the state millions.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs sent a letter to Maricopa County saying that all of the voting machines turned over to the GOP audit may need to be replaced.

"I am writing to express my concerns about Maricopa County's election equipment that was turned over to Senate President Karen Fann and Senator Warren Petersen and their agent, Cyber Ninjas, pursuant to the January 12, 2021 subpoena, including components of the certified Dominion Democracy Suite 5.5B voting system," Hobbs wrote.

"I have grave concerns regarding the security and integrity of these machines, given the chain of custody, a critical security tenet, has been compromised and election officials do not know what was done to the machines while under Cyber Ninjas' control," she explained.

Hobbs says she consulted with experts and the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and "each unanimously advised that once election officials lose custody and control over voting systems and components, those devices should not be used in future elections."

Reporter Ben Giles of Arizona public radio station KJZZ noted that the state of Arizona may be on the hook for replacing the machines after indemnifying Maricopa County. Here is the thread he posted to Twitter: