Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap(R) has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Supervisors (BOS), accusing them of unlawfully seizing control of key election functions and withholding resources from his office. The lawsuit, filed June 12 by Trump-aligned America First Legal, seeks a court order forcing the BOS to restore fully the Recorder’s statutory responsibilities and funding.

Heap contends that a late-2024 Shared Services Agreement (SSA), pushed through by a lame-duck Board of Supervisors (BOS) and outgoing Recorder, stripped his office of crucial duties, including managing IT staff for voter registration and running early voting centers. He further claims the Board has barred him from essential facilities and resources, impairing upcoming elections. Heap announced the lawsuit on X:

Meanwhile, some on the BOS maintain they have negotiated “in good faith” and reject Heap’s characterizations. Chairman Thomas Galvin(R) and Supervisor Kate Brophy McGee (R) denounced the lawsuit as “absurd,” calling it “juvenile” and misleading. They say the Recorder’s office remains funded and empowered to carry out its duties. Galvin posted on X, “This will end in a bad way for Justin Heap but it’s Maricopa County voters and taxpayers who will see time and resources wasted on this selfish adventure.”

The bombastic tone of Galvin and McGee does not seem to be shared by the other Republicans on the Board. The Globe reached out to Supervisor Debbie Lesko (R) but did not get a response at the time of press. We would welcome the opportunity to include Lesko’s statements in a future article.

On social media, her statement after the lawsuit seemed to puzzle many, and the comment section exploded. Lesko said, “Is Recorder @azjustinheap going rogue? Did he just fire another attorney..this time  Andrew Gould???..  Even after County attorney @Rachel1Mitchell told Heap she is the one that assigns outside counsel? Stop wasting taxpayer money on lawyers Heap and sit down and negotiate.”

State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-15) replied to Lesko and conceded that she may not be operating her own social media account. He continued, “Andy Gould was only assigned to the MCRO for negotiating, not litigating, the SSA.”

Supervisor Mark Stewart (R) issued an exclusive statement to the Globe, saying, “Although it’s unfortunate that the Recorder’s Office has decided to pursue legal action against the County, especially on an issue I’ve consistently encouraged to be addressed through open, transparent public dialogue. I believe this can be an opportunity to clarify the responsibilities of the Board of Supervisors and the Recorder.” He continued, “Despite efforts from both the Recorder’s legal team and the BoardBoard’sl counsel, including a dedicated Board subcommittee there has been limited progress over the past five months. This represents a missed opportunity to find common ground.”

Stewart also added, “During this process, I verbalized and shared documented recommendations that could’ve helped avoid this impasse. I will continue to stay as involved as the court and law will allow. My commitment remains the same: to focus on practical solutions that serve voters first, rise above political differences, and strive for collaboration and excellence in how we govern,” he said, concluding with, “Regardless of the concerns about the SSA, I will take every step necessary to be transparent and advocate for the best in-class elections,” Stewart concluded.

This is a developing story.