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FACT BRIEF

Did Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer form a political action committee?

By Jordan Gerard
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YES

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer formed a political action committee in 2021 called “Pro-Democracy Republicans of Arizona.” The PAC website indicates their goal is to support Republicans who “accept and acknowledge” the Arizona election was not stolen in 2020.

The Maricopa County Ethics Handbook does not prohibit elected officials from engaging in activities to advocate the election or defeat of candidates, nor making contributions to candidates, political parties or campaign committees. They cannot use Maricopa County property or resources for political activities. Elected officials are encouraged to avoid situations that create the appearance of impropriety or conflicts of interest.

Maricopa County Recorder’s Office "processes and preserves deeds, plats, and a variety of other important documents" and "is responsible for maintaining voter files for more than 2.6 million active registered voters," according to its website.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Arizona Mirror Stephen Richer creates PAC to back ‘pro-democracy’ Republicans
Pro-Democracy GOP Fighting to Keep Our Democratic Institutions Alive
Maricopa County Ethics Handbook
Arizona Secretary of State AZ Secretary of State Campaign Finance Handbook
Maricopa County Maricopa County Recorder's Office
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Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.