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One of the two Republican supervisors in Cochise County, Arizona, who refused to certify the county’s 2022 midterm election on time has accepted a plea agreement.
Supervisor Peggy Judd was initially charged with two felony counts of conspiracy and interference with an elections officer, and had pleaded not guilty. On Monday, though, she pleaded guilty to a separate misdemeanor charge of failure or refusal to perform duty by an election officer and “acknowledged that she failed to canvass the election as required by law,” according to a news release from Attorney General Kris Mayes.
Judd will be sentenced to at least 90 days’ unsupervised probation, and will pay a maximum $500 fine, according to the release. A copy of the plea agreement was not yet available Monday morning.
“Any attempt to interfere with elections in Arizona will not be tolerated,” Mayes said in a statement announcing the plea deal.
“Today’s plea agreement and sentencing should serve as a strong reminder that I will not hesitate to use every tool available to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of Arizona’s elections,” Mayes said.
Judd said Monday night that it was “such a relief” that the plea deal was complete, and she could move on.
Judd insisted she has always trusted the county’s elections, but delayed certifying to try to get more information for members of the public who were concerned about the machines the county uses to count ballots. While she said she wasn’t proud of her actions, she added that she “lost no sleep over this” and said Mayes’ investigation was politically motivated and the attorney general was using her as an example.
“She wasted money on me,” Judd said.
She has previously told Votebeat that she felt bitter that some of those who pressured her did not help with her legal defense.
Judd and Supervisor Tom Crosby voted twice to delay the canvass of the midterm results. The Secretary of State’s Office sued, and a court forced the supervisors to immediately vote to finalize the results. Judd changed her vote at a meeting later that day, but Crosby did not show up.
Crosby’s charges are still pending.
Mayes launched an investigation after taking office in 2023, and a grand jury indicted both supervisors. A trial had been set for early next year.
Jen Fifield is a reporter for Votebeat based in Arizona. Contact Jen at jfifield@votebeat.org.
