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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Has a government spy plane been circling Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix to monitor an audit of Maricopa County ballots from the 2020 presidential election?

By Ali Swenson
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NO

Air traffic maps do show a plane flying in the Phoenix area near the site of an unprecedented recount of ballots from November’s presidential election. But the Phoenix Police Department confirmed that it was a police plane conducting business unrelated to the recount.

"We have nothing, zero, zilch to do with that," Maggie Cox, public information sergeant for the department, told the AP. The department’s planes are "called on for many things," Cox said, but the election audit has not been one of them.

The false surveillance claim appeared on websites that have previously spread election-related conspiracy theories.

The recount has been contentious. Cyber Ninjas, the company hired to do the audit, initially refused to release its policies and procedures for re-tallying by hand the 2.1 million ballots in Maricopa County, where President Joe Biden defeated former President Donald Trump.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
AP News No one sent a ‘spy plane’ to surveil Arizona election audit
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The Associated Press
The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.
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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.