>> FROM THE MOMENT FOX NEWS FIRST DECLARED BIDEN THE WINNER OF ARIZONA, THE STATE HAS BEEN A MAIN FOCUS OF TRUMP ELECTION CONSPIRACIES. THIS LATEST INDICTMENT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP DETAILED HIS TEAM'S EFFORTS TO CONVINCE ARIZONA'S HOUSE SPEAKER TO FORCE THE STATE READ. THE SCHEME HAS HAD LASTING EFFECTS ON ARIZONA AND ITS IMPACT OF ELECTIONS. LAST YEAR'S MIDTERMS, ELECTION DENIERS WON THE REPUBLICAN PRIMARIES, BUT THEY LOST THE GENERAL ELECTION, AND ALL OF THIS IS TOP POSITION. WE ARE TALKING GOVERNOR, TURNING GENERAL, AND A SECRETARY OF STATE. SO, HOW IS THE GRAND CANYON STATE NAVIGATING A SHAKEN FAITH AND DEMOCRACY, AND HOW COULD THIS INDICTMENT BE A STEP TOWARD REBUILDING IT? ARIZONA SECRETARY OF STATE, AEGEAN FONTES, GOOD TO SEE YOU. YOUR OFFICE WAS ACTUALLY SUBPOENAED BY THE SPECIAL COUNSEL EARLIER THIS SUMMER. WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THAT COMMUNICATION? >> WELL, IT WAS THE SECOND OF TWO SUBPOENAS THAT WE HAD THE FIRST, LAST DECEMBER. WE CONFIDED WITH THAT DURING THE BEGINNING OF MY TURN AND THEN THE ONE IN MAY WENT TO AN OUTSIDE LAW FROM THAT HAVE BEEN REPRESENTING THE SECRETARY'S OFFICE DURING THAT TIME. A COUPLE OF CASES HAD BEEN LITIGATED THROUGH THIS OFFICE, AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR A LOT OF THE COMMUNICATIONS AND THE DISCOVERY FROM THOSE CASES. THAT IS A WHOLE BUNCH OF EVIDENCE THAT IS PULLED TOGETHER BUT MAY NOT MAKE IT INTO TRIAL BUT IT IS THE OVERALL PAINT THE PICTURE BEHIND THE SCENES. THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WAS LOOKING FOR A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION. WE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING GOT TURNED OVER AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE PLAYED A LITTLE PART IN BUILDING THIS CASE. >> AND ASSUMING YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE INDICTMENT. DID ANYTHING IN THEIR SURPRISE YOU? >> NO. IT DIDN'T. WE HAVE BEEN PLAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE JANUARY 6TH COMMITTEE HEARINGS AND THE CONGRESS. AND LOOK, WE KNOW ALL THE PLAYERS HERE. MY SUCCESSOR AT THE COUNTY RECORDERS OFFICE, AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ALL OF THESE FOLKS ARE PERSONALLY FAMILIAR TO ME. IT IS A TIGHT GROUP OF FOLKS AROUND HERE WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING THIS FIGHT AND STANDING FOR THE AMERICAN VOTER AND WE RUN INTO EACH OTHER HERE AND THERE. NOTHING IN THE INDICTMENT SURPRISED US. I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WAS SURPRISING FOR ME WAS THAT IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET IT OUT. >> YES. YOU KNOW, YOU ARE NOT NEW TO ELECTIONS, IF YOU WILL, IN ARIZONA. YOU JUST NOTED THAT YOU FORMERLY SERVED AS THE COUNTY REPORTER IN MARICOPA COUNTY, THE LARGEST COUNTY IN ARIZONA. SO, I AM JUST WONDERING, THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC OF SUPPORTING THAT 17 OFFICIALS THAT ARE TASKED WITH OVERSEEING ELECTIONS HAVE QUIT SINCE 2020 AND THAT THREE OF ARIZONA'S 15 COUNTIES HAVE NOW CRITICAL VACANCIES, THE STATE LEGISLATOR DENIED THE REQUEST FOR MORE FUNDING. YOU'VE CONTINUOUSLY VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT ELECTION OFFICIALS HAVING TO LEARN ON THE JOB. YOU HAVE HAD VERY FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO SHORE UP ARIZONA'S ELECTION INFRASTRUCTURE? BECAUSE THERE IS AN ELECTION NEXT YEAR. >> WHEN IT IS WIDESPREAD. 12 OR 15 COUNTIES HAVE LOST EITHER AN ELECTED DIRECTOR IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE IS CRITICAL BECAUSE ELECTIONS ARE DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN GOVERNMENT. YOU HAVE ONE DEADLINE THAT DOES NOT GET EXTENDED, IT HAS BEEN ANALOGIZE TO THROWING A WEDDING RECEPTION AND EVERY DETAIL HAS TO BE PERFECT, AND EVERY PERSON WHO WALKS IN THE DOOR IS A MEMBER OF THE WEDDING PARTY IF NOT THE BRIDE. YOU'VE GOT TO BE PERFECT EVERY SINGLE TIME AND SO, IT IS TOUGH WORK EXPERIENCE MATTERS. WE DON'T HAVE THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE USED TO HAVE. BUT OUR OFFICE HAS GARNERED A WHOLE TEAM OF FOLKS FROM ARIZONA. SOME OF THOSE FORMER ELECTION OFFICIALS AT THE COUNTIES HAVE COME TO WORK FOR US IN VARIOUS OFFICES, AND WE ARE READY TO ASSIST ALL OF THE NEW FOLKS COMING IN. WE ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH ELECTION OFFICER CERTIFICATION TRAINING. WE WILL HAVE RE-TRAINING FOR ALL OF THE OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND IN THE FALL, AND WE ARE LOOKING FOR OTHER PARTNERS TO BRING IN SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS TO REALLY HELP WHERE WE CAN. BUT WE HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS, THE ENTIRE BUDGET PROCESS, NOT JUST THE LEGISLATOR, BUT EVERYONE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. SO WHOEVER CAME UP SHORT FOR US, WE ARE GOING TO PERSIST. >> MISTER SECRETARY, WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S ELECTION? >> WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT KEEP ME UP AT NIGHT. NUMBER ONE, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE IMPACT THAT THOSE TECHNOLOGIES MIGHT HAVE. WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR VIOLENCE AND CERTAIN AREAS. PARTICULARLY WHERE WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WILLING TO CHEER LEAD VIOLENCE AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE THE FORMER PRESIDENT HAS ON SEVERAL LOCATIONS. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CANNOT NECESSARILY PLAN FOR. I USED TO SAY THAT WE WERE READY FOR EVERYTHING BUT GODZILLA, WE HAVE A PLAN FOR NEW SORTS OF MONSTERS NOW. BUT I TRUST THE FOLKS WHO RUN OUR ELECTIONS. THEY ARE REGULAR AMERICANS, JUST LIKE YOU AND ME, THEY ARE TEACHERS, COPS, PLUMBERS, YOU'RE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS, GRANDPARENTS, THEY ARE GOING TO DO THEIR BEST. AND REALLY, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE BIG LIE, IT WAS AGAINST THEM. IT WAS AGAINST AMERICANS, PARTICULARLY IN ARIZONA, WHO WERE JUST DOING THEIR JOBS. THEY ARE NOT FRAUDS, THEY ARE NOT CHEATS, THEY ARE NOT LIARS, THEY ARE JUST LIKE US. THAT WAS THE BIGGEST TRAGEDY IN MY VIEW. THEIR GOOD WORK WAS THROWN UNDER THE BUS BY THE EXTREMISTS ON THE EXTREME MAGA SIDE OF THINGS. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO GOT THREATENED. THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WERE DISHONORED. AND I THINK THAT THERE IS SOME VINDICATION FOR THEM, THANKFULLY, WITH THIS INDICTMENT. >> PATRIOTS ARE THE FOLKS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, I AM TALKING ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT ADMINISTER THE ELECTION. NOT THE PEOPLE WHO TRY T
