Arizona Supreme Court allows release of state Senate's records of contractors 2020 election audit

The Arizona Supreme Court has rejected an effort by the state's GOP-led Senate to keep confidential records of its review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County now in possession of the contractors conducting the recount.

The court on Tuesday rejected the appeal filed after two lower courts ruled the documents are public records that must be released, according to the Associated Press.

Previously, the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled the documents sought by watchdog group American Oversight are public and must be turned over.

Republicans who control the Senate have tried for months to keep confidential how their contractors are conducting the recount. They argued that because the records are maintained by the contractors, they were not subject to public records law and that legislative immunity applies. The appeals court in its Aug. 19 ruling rejected that argument, the wire service also reports.