Arizona audit subcontractor pulled out of audit following conclusion of contract

A subcontractor helping manage the audit of Maricopa County, Arizona's 2020 election results pulled out of the audit following the conclusion of its contract earlier this month, electing not to finish out the process once its original contractual obligations had been fulfilled. 

Wake TSI, a Pennsylvania-based digital forensics firm, left the audit May 14, after its contract under Florida-based digital security company Cyber Ninjas came to an end. 

"They were done," audit spokesman Randy Pullen told the Arizona Republic. "They didn't want to come back."

State Senate President Karen Fann told the newspaper that the matter was simply one of concluded business. 

"They finished up with their contract, so they don’t need to be there anymore," said Fann, leader of the GOP-controlled chamber that called for the audit. 

The major audit  – the largest yet of the 2020 election results, and one involving the hand recounting of 2.1 million ballots cast in that county – is expected to continue through May and potentially reach the end of June. Auditors had originally projected a much earlier mid-May end date. 

Scottsdale, Arizona,-based StratTech Solutions took over for Wake TSI following the latter's departure from the effort.