Key Points:
Heap is accused of breaching the Public Meeting Act
Garraldo claims the recorder misrepresented him in texts to other supervisors
Heap has initiated a lawsuit against the supervisor through a shared service agreement
Members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors have turned to state attorneys to investigate Justin Heap, the county recorder, for potential public corruption.
On August 6, Steve Garraldo, the only Democrat on the board, sent a letter to Attorney General Chris Mays, formally requesting an investigation into the recorder after events on July 30. It was reported by Voting Beat that Heap attempted to persuade board members via text concerning more election liability through a shared service agreement between his office and the board.
This request from Garraldo came following Heap’s statement disputing a text he sent, which claimed that he had influenced Republican board members to back the shared service agreement using “back channel and arm twist” tactics.
“Justin Heap is lying about me, and he should keep my name out of his mouth,” Garraldo stated.
In his letter to Mays, Garraldo accused Heap of violating Arizona’s public meeting laws by discussing the shared service agreement with three other supervisors outside of official public meetings.
The Arizona Ombudsman has clarified that electronic communications, like text messages, can qualify as meetings if they involve legal action and are sent to a quorum of public agency members.
Garraldo asserts that Heap tried to bypass Arizona’s public meeting law by attempting to orchestrate a board vote through what he calls a “secret conspiracy” instead of an open meeting.
“Mr. Heap’s actions have cast doubt on the integrity of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors,” Garraldo wrote. “If this request for investigation is considered self-serving, that’s accurate. The public deserves to know the truths behind any conspiracies he may have tried to contrive with me.”
The allegations of Heap lobbying the board add another layer to the rising tensions between the board and his office. Back in May, the board prohibited Heap from sending out automatic mailings to voters not listed as active for early voting in the 7th Congressional District Special Election, though they did approve other aspects of his office’s plan.
Heap also clashed with the board over a shared services agreement in late 2024 involving Republican Stephen Richer.
“The people of Maricopa County are better than the shocking actions and deceit from the Board of Supervisors throughout this process,” Heap remarked in a statement on May 15.
Heap subsequently filed a lawsuit against the board on June 12 concerning negotiations over the shared service agreement, alleging that they were stripping county recorders of their legal authority as per Arizona law.
Board leaders labeled the lawsuit as “absurd,” claiming that Heap’s legal team lacked permission from Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell to file it. In response, Mitchell has initiated a legal action against Heap’s office for violating state law.
Both cases remain ongoing in Maricopa County Superior Court.
“He doesn’t deserve to run that recorder’s office,” Garraldo expressed in an interview on July 30. Arizona Capitol Times. “It’s been nothing but chaos since he took the position. Having someone so indifferent in such an important role is simply unacceptable.”
