In Maricopa County's realm, brave newly elected Recorder Justin Heap vowed to guard fair elections. Yet, cunning Lord Chairman Thomas Galvin, with a sly Shared Services Agreement with the lame duck Supervisors and fired Recorder Stephen Richer, stole Heap’s rightful duties, hoarding staff and budget. With America First Legal, Heap fights to reclaim his role as the people’s hope hangs in the balance.
While the budget vote to eliminate Recorder Heap's statutory duties is still tentative, the people's voice must be heard.
🚨 CALL TO ACTION 🚨
Maricopa County Supervisors’ May 19 tentative budget vote stalls Recorder Justin Heap’s efforts to secure voter rolls and fulfill his statutory duties. Six months into his term, the BOS still withholds Heap’s IT staff, budget, and resources unless he agrees to strip his office of many of its statutory duties.
The conflict erupted after ex-Recorder Stephen Richer’s 2024 Primary loss, when Supervisor Thomas Galvin pushed a Shared Services Agreement to strip Heap’s authority to the lame-duck Board.
Act now to demand that the BOS restore Recorder Justin Heap’s resources and secure our elections!
Most of the Board of Supervisors have stripped their contact emails from their website, but we were able to retrieve them from the Wayback Machine. You can send a respectful and peaceful message to them using the official contact information below.
Also, consider sending a positive message to Recorder Justin Heap, thanking him for fighting to keep his promises and secure our elections.
CONTACT INFORMATION BY DISTRICT:
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Supervisor Mark Stewart: 602-506-1776, District_1@maricopa.gov
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Chairman Thomas: 602-506-7431, District2@maricopa.gov
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Vice-Chair Kate Brophy McGee: 602-506-7563, district3@maricopa.gov
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Supervisor Debbie Lesko: 602-506-7642, district4@maricopa.gov
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Supervisor Steve Gallardo: 602-506-7092, district5@maricopa.gov
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Recorder Justin Heap: 602-506-3535, EMAIL HERE
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Contact the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, specifically Rachel Mitchell's Office, and respectfully express your opposition to her alleged illegal lawfare tactics: (602) 506-3411, EMAIL HERE.
Background & Timeline of Recorder Justin Heap's Fight to Regain Statutory Duties, Budget, Staff, Equipment & Resources
The Timeline below is listed from the most recent to the oldest events. Use the anchor menu to navigate to the section that interests you the most. We've also included Shared Services Agreement (SSA) and Legal History on how election duties have been historically separated in Maricopa County versus how the statutes divide them.
June 17th Update:
AFL ATTORNEY BRTUAL RESPONSE TO MCAO RACHEL MITCHELL
Recorder Justin Heap Vindicated
America 1st Legal attorney James Rogers issues a formal letter to the Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell's demand to withdraw as counsel for Recorder Justin Heap.
He calls her out for misquoting legal precedent:
"Indeed, the fact that you cited a case that held exactly the opposite of what you claimed raises troubling questions. Did you actually read Woodall before citing it? If not, why not?"
June 13th Update:
MCAO RACHEL MITCHELL ORDERED BY CHAIR THOMAS GALVIN TO GO AFTER RECORDER JUSTIN HEAP
Threatens Rec. Heap's Attorney, James Rogers with America 1st Legal, with his BAR License
In response to Recorder Justin Heap filing his lawsuit against the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for his statutory duties back, Chairman Thomas Galvin orders the Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to go after him.
MCAO Rachel Mitchell issued a letter to Recorder Justin Heap's attorney, James Rogers with America 1st Legal, threatening to report him to the BAR if he doesn't stop representing Recorder. Justin Heap. She also issued a letter to Recorder Justin Heap demanding he withdraw his lawsuit.
The MCAO budget is currently pending approval from Chairman Thomas Galvin and the Board of Supervisors. The other Supervisors have largely just rubber-stamped Thomas Galvin's decisions. So it's not shocking Rachel Mitchell is bending the knee to Galvin.
Read the Arizona Sun Times Article HERE.
MCAO Rachel Mitchell misquoted the law and cited case law precedent incorrectly.
AFL issued a public statement outlining why Rachel Mitchell has gone beyond her statutory and Constitutional authority and has no basis to order Recorder Justin Heap to withdraw his lawsuit.
"The County Recorder is allowed to pick his own lawyer in litigation. He is not subject to the whims of the County Attorney."
June 12th Update:
RECORDER HEAP KEEPS HIS PROMISE:
Sues Maricopa County with America 1st Legal to Take Back His Statutory Duties!
Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, with America 1st Legal representing, sues the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors for his statutory duties, staff, resources, funding, and equipment.
The Federalist writes:
The Board of Supervisors running Arizona’s largest county is illegally withholding key resources from the locality’s Republican elections chief that allow him to perform his lawfully mandated duties, a lawsuit filed Thursday claims.
Brought by Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap, the legal complaint alleged that the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) is refusing to “provide the necessary funds for the Recorder to conduct essential duties of his office unless he cedes much of his statutory authority to the BOS and permits the BOS to retain control over the systems and personnel required for the Recorder’s Office to fulfill the Recorder’s statutory functions.” As argued in the suit, “Arizona’s statutes are clear: the Legislature has delegated to the Recorder, and not to the Board of Supervisors, numerous responsibilities for election administration, and the Board of Supervisors has a mandatory duty to fund the Recorder’s conduct of his duties.”
Recorder Justin Heap's official statement:
"From day one, I promised the voters of Maricopa County that I would deliver more secure, more honest, and more transparent elections for all voters, regardless of political party. Similarly, I have promised to utilize every tool under state and federal law, including Arizona’s judicial system, to accomplish these very popular objectives.
Today’s lawsuit seeks simply to reclaim the legal authority afforded to the County Recorder under Arizona law and ensure that my office is not further deprived of the resources necessary to perform those duties to the fullest extent possible. The Board of Supervisors’ bad faith tactics in the SSA negotiation, compounded by their unanimous May 19 budget vote to cement the Board’s seizure of my statutory duties through the budget process is deeply disappointing, forcing us to take this issue to court.
Despite their repeated misinformation and gaslighting of the public on these issues, defending the civil right to free, fair, and honest elections for every Maricopa County voter isn’t simply my job as County Recorder, it’s the right thing to do and a mission I’m fully committed to achieving."
You can read Chairman Thomas Galvin and Vice Chair Mc-Gee's response HERE.
Click the images below to see the Recorder's full press release, AFL's press release, and read the special action lawsuit and motion for preliminary injunction.
May 15th Update:
RECORDER HEAP FIGHTS BACK:
Proposes Shared Services Agreement to Board to Make Elections Great Again!
A Shared Services Agreement (SSA) determines how the Recorder and County Board of Supervisors will split the election responsibilities. It can also set requirements on how the elections will be administered.
In May, Recorder Justin Heap countered the Board's SSA proposal by submitting his own SSA to the Board. The Recorder's SSA aligned with statutorily assigned authority and strengthened election integrity. Whereas the Board's SSA would recodify, thereby taking away most of the Recorder's statutory responsibilities, including the Recorder's IT Department, which would impede the Recorder's ability to secure the voter rolls.
APRIL 24 UPDATE: MARICOPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VOTE TO GIVE RECORDER HEAP A SHARED SERVICES AGREEMENT DRAFT OUTSIDE OF STATUTE
Chairman Thomas Galvin held a Special Meeting with the Supervisors on April 24th, 2025, to vote on an offer letter and draft of the Shared Services Agreement to give to the Recorder. A Shared Services Agreement determines how the Recorder and County Supervisors will split the election responsibilities and can set requirements on how the elections will be administered.
Chairman Galvin banned public comment and refused to allow Recorder Justin Heap to speak at the meeting, even though he tried to claim the negotiations were in agreement with the Recorder.
Contact the Supervisors and Recorder Justin Heap and tell them you want an SSA that maintains statutory integrity, creates efficient operations, secures our elections, and improves the voter experience. Thank Recorder Heap for fighting to keep his promises to secure our elections!
Tell them you want an SSA that:
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FULLY FUNDS TECH RESOURCES AT THE RECORDER'S OFFICE TO CLEAN THE VOTER ROLLS
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REQUIRES CHAIN OF CUSTODY WITH FULL TRACEABILITY
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FOLLOWS THE LAW BY ASSIGNING THE DUTIES ACCORDING TO THE STATUTES
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ENSURES CONVENIENT & FAIR VOTING LOCATIONS WITH BIPARTISAN STAFF
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REQUIRES DROP BOXES TO BE FULLY STAFFED AND MONITORED
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ENSURES A BETTER REVIEW OF VOTING EQUIPMENT
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SPEEDS UP ELECTION RESULTS WITH ONSITE TABULATION OF EARLY BALLOTS ON ELECTION DAY
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OFFERS FULL TRANSPARENCY TO THE VOTERS WITH JOINT QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH PUBLIC COMMENT
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STOPS THE CHAOS & VOTER DISENFRANCHISEMENT WITH COMMON SENSE PROTOCOLS SUCH AS COUNTING ALL VALID PROVISIONAL BALLOTS
CONTACT INFORMATION BY DISTRICT:
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Supervisor Mark Stewart: 602-506-1776, District_1@maricopa.gov
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Chairman Thomas: 602-506-7431, District2@maricopa.gov
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Vice-Chair Kate Brophy McGee: 602-506-7563, district3@maricopa.gov
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Supervisor Debbie Lesko: 602-506-7642, district4@maricopa.gov
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Supervisor Steve Gallardo: 602-506-7092, district5@maricopa.gov
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Recorder Justin Heap: 602-506-3535, EMAIL HERE
APRIL UPDATE: CHAIRMAN GALVIN STILL PLAYING GAMES & TWISTING FACTS
Instead of cooperating, Chairman Thomas Galvin illegally blocked staff, resources, and budget from the Recorder's Office, slowing down election integrity. This isn't political; it's about vote integrity, citizenship voting rights, and the people having access to their government!
Chairman Galvin is:
❌ Refusing to give Recorder Heap his entire budget
❌ Refusing to give Heap back his staff
❌ Refusing to give Heap back his IT Department and servers
❌ Refused to give Heap access to key County buildings where the Recorder’s staff works
❌ Delayed approving Heap’s Deputy Recorder pick
❌ Threatening to arrest citizens at public meetings for criticizing his decisions
❌ Preventing disabled citizens from participating in public comment
❌ Trying to turn the Recorder duties over to bad actors who keep our elections chaotic and skirt the law
It's a never-ending election integrity fairy tale nightmare! When do the citizens of Maricopa County get our happily ever after with free, fair, and transparent elections?
An election is coming up in May, and without Recorder Heap having access to his staff, budget, and resources, it's unlikely the election departments will be prepared to have a smooth election.
The people are tired of chaotic elections, so the Recorder was elected to have full access and ownership to his staff, resources, and budget so that he could do his job and secure his portion of the election administration!
Contact Info for Chairman Thomas Galvin: 602-506-7431; district2@maricopa.gov
Chairman Galvin Refuses to Meet with Recorder Heap
UPDATE: Chairman Thomas Galvin did meet with Recorder Heap on March 4, 2025. Nothing consequential came from the meeting.
Did Chairman Galvin Lie about Meetings on the SSA with the Recorder & His Staff?
We are pending the release of a public records request to confirm these meetings that Galvin claims occurred.
3/28/2025 UPDATE: Public Records Show the 2024 SSA Originated with Thomas Galvin
MARICOPA COUNTY SSA TO GUT NEW RECORDER'S POWER, CRAFTED BY THOMAS GALVIN
AND FIRED RECORDER, STAFF
It should be noted, the 2024 SSA transferred Young and his entire IT Department under the Board so that the next Recorder Justin Heap wouldn't have oversight over him or the work the department does under his charge.
See the full set of public records HERE.
3/12/25 UPDATE: A Temporary Agreement for the May Election Doesn't Solve the Problems
AZCentral reports a temporary agreement is now in place for the May election, but it doesn't solve the problems which have created chaos in previous elections.
"I think we can get through the May elections, but November will be a higher intensity election with far more ballots being sent out," said Sam Stone, chief of staff at the Recorder's Office. "And then, clearly, we need to have an agreement in place before the 2026 cycle begins."
3/10/25 UPDATE: Previous Shared Services Agreement Canceled by Recorder Heap
Washington Post reports that on January 27th, 2025 Recorder Heap sent a letter to the Board of Supervisors canceling the Shared Services Agreement which took away his staff, budget and resources to fulfill the voter mandate to secure his portion of the elections.
SSA HISTORY:
As Election Responsibilties Shifted to the Board of Supervisors, Election Administration Suffered
The best division of election responsibilities is a truly bifurcated system of checks and balances, similar to how the Arizona Statute assigns the duties. The chart below shows how the statutes divide election responsibilities versus how Maricopa County has consolidated power and resources, stripping key duties from the elected Recorder's Office.
In the chart below, the torch logo = the Maricopa County Recorder's Office. The orange cactus logo with the middle finger = Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Legal History and Precedent
A hostile County Board Chairman holding resources from a County elected office isn't new. It's a tactic used before, and courts have always shut it down.
When Yavapai County Board of Supervisors pulled similar stunts in removing essential personnel from County Assessors Office, the Arizona Attorney General published a summary that the BOS "exceeded it's authority." See https://www.azag.gov/opinions/i15-013-r15-017
Additionally, the AG Opinion goes to reference Romley v. Daughton, 225 Ariz. 521 (App. 2010):
"Consistent with that premise, the Arizona Court of Appeals has recognized under analogous circumstances the inherent limitations on a county board of supervisors’ authority."
It's not as if the Board Chairman isn't aware that the courts have always ruled against such hostile BOS tactics. So why Chairman Galvin wasting the time of the Board and delaying the Recorder from being able to fulfill his duties of securing our elections?
Buckle up. The budget doesn't get approved until June. So we have several more months of ridiculous stunts ahead if you don't make your voice heard NOW!
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