Lawmakers spar in hearing on Arizona election audit

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Reps. Andy Biggs and Jamie Raskin sparred Thursday during a congressional hearing on Arizona's audit of the 2020 presidential election, which determined President Joe Biden legitimately won the race.

Biggs, a Republican from Arizona, claimed that "we don't know" who won the state's 11 electoral votes, despite the audit's results last month which found that Biden won 45,000 more votes than former President Donald Trump. The review also determined there was no evidence of widespread fraud.

"Who won the election in Arizona, Donald Trump or Joe Biden," Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, questioned Biggs.

"We don't know because as the audit demonstrates, Mr. Raskin, there are a lot of issues with this election that took place," Biggs said.

"This is the problem we have," Raskin responded. "Unfortunately, we have one of the great political parties which has followed him off of the ledge of this electoral lunacy. It is dangerous for democracy. I am glad we are having this hearing today."

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform held the hearing Thursday to evaluate the audit in Maricopa County and "threats to American democracy."

Biggs accused Raskin of "cherry-picking" information from the audit report to support the case that Biden reported. Raskin, in turn, accused Biggs of perpetuating the "big lie" that the election was stolen from Trump.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the committee, said the Arizona audit and others inspired by it are "hyper partisan" and "not about fairness, election security or the truth."

"They are instead designed to promote conspiracy theories and to raise doubts about our elections. The ultimate aim of these audits is even worse: to lay the groundwork for new laws that make it harder for Americans to cast their ballots, but easier for dishonest officials to overturn the results of elections they don't like," she said.