The contractor who moved Arizona voting-system data to Montana for analysis won’t say where his “secure laboratory” is, what kind of work is being done or when it will be completed.
June 17, 2021

As I wrote earlier this month, Arizona Republicans handed over 2020 election material to their unaccredited “auditor” and they can’t be bothered to make sure any of it is being properly safeguarded. The material in question is from Maricopa County, which just happened to have gone for Joe Biden. The Republicans’ recklessness with the data is so breathtaking, it’s hard not to conclude they are trying to destroy it.

CNN reporter Gary Tuchman went to Montana to try to find out what the heck is being done with material that belongs to the public. None of the people involved would provide answers.

The best guess is that the “lab” holding the data is on the personal property of the guy who owns the company doing the work, in a remote area of Montana. The company was contracted by the MAGA auditors, Cyber Ninjas, to do forensic analysis. But the audit spokesman, Ken Bennett, doesn’t know where the lab is and doesn’t appear to care, either.

The supposed forensic expert who owns the property and the company, Ben Cotton, did not respond when CNN reached out to ask what kind of analysis he’s doing and where. However, Tuchman noted that an aerial view of the large property shows it has three buildings, any of which could hold a lab.

The voting data could be held in secret indefinitely. There’s no deadline to complete the “forensic” review. “According to the Arizona audit spokesman, when it’s done, it’s done,” Tuchman said. He also noted that normally, outside observers are invited to view election audits but that does not appear to be the case here.

What are they trying to hide?

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