Since the 2020 election, Republican Arizona State Representative Mark Finchem has continued to spread lies and misinformation about the 2020 presidential election, calling on electors to “decertify” the Arizona results and falsely claiming that “tens of thousands” of fraudulent votes were cast. Finchem attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally in Washington, DC that preceded the attack on the Capitol and praised the rioters. Now, Finchem is running for Arizona Secretary of State, where, if successful, he would oversee the state’s elections, opening the door for further attacks on democracy and our electoral system.

CREW has requested records of Rep. Finchem’s communication with former president Trump, Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, Rudy Giuliani and other Trump allies  as well as officials and representatives from other states. CREW also requests records from Finchem’s office about “election integrity” events, as well as records about America First Secretary of State candidates.

Across the country, Trump supporters are seeking secretary of state positions and raising large sums of money from those who believe Trump’s lies about the 2020 election, boosted by Trump’s endorsement. As secretary of state, these candidates, including Finchem, would have the capacity to affect election results and potentially challenge or undermine the democratic system. The public needs to know the extent of  Finchem’s involvement in the Stop the Steal movement, Jan. 6 insurrection, and efforts to destroy election integrity. Proponents of the Big Lie serving in top elections offices are incredibly dangerous for our democracy, and Americans deserve to know the truth.

FOIA request

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