Maricopa Temp Worker Arrested: Election Security Breach
Submitted by MAGA
Posted 87 days ago
A temporary election worker in Maricopa County has been arrested after allegedly stealing keys and a security fob that can be used to gain access to the county's ballot tabulation machines.
Walter Ringfield Jr., a 27-year-old Phoenix resident, was charged with one count of theft and one count of criminal damage after he allegedly took a lanyard with the fob and keys attached while working in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.
Ringfield told detectives during his arrest that he took the fob for 20 minutes the day before and then gave it back. However, detectives located the fob in his house after obtaining a search warrant. His motive for taking it was unclear, but he suggested to detectives that it may have been a mistake.
The alleged theft comes as election workers across Arizona and the country attempt to secure elections, and amid rising concerns over potential insider threats. The Arizona Secretary of State's Office said in a statement that "while this event is unwelcome, it speaks [to] the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona's election systems."
County staff noticed on Friday morning that the lanyard was missing, according to the county's statement. The lanyard had a plastic key on it as well as the security fob, which workers use to gain access to the machines to program them. The workers hold the fob to the tabulators, and then enter a password before getting access.
Detectives went to Ringfield’s home on Friday, and he told them he was fired because his employer thought he stole something, but he said he gave the fob back. Detectives spotted the lanyard in his car at his house and then, after executing a search warrant, found the security fob on top of a dresser in the master bedroom.
The security breach means that the county must now reprogram its machines and security fobs at a cost of $19,000, according to the detectives’ report. County officials will also redo the preelection logic and accuracy testing “to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County Elections,” according to a statement from the county’s elections department.
Ringfield started on June 3 as a temporary election worker for the tabulation center. He had previously been charged with theft after an incident in July 2023, but he entered a diversion program and was not convicted, according to county court records. Maricopa County spokesperson Jennifer Liewer said that the county conducted a background check on him before hiring him, and that no convictions were found.
Maricopa County is hiring more than 530 temporary election workers in preparation for the state’s July 30 primary, in addition to more than 2,200 poll workers. The county has advertised openings on its website and social media accounts.
Mail ballots go out on July 3, and the county had already programmed and tested its voting machines. The security breach means that the county must now reprogram its machines and security fobs at a cost of $19,000, according to the detectives’ report. County officials will also redo the preelection logic and accuracy testing “to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County Elections,” according to a statement from the county’s elections department. The logic and accuracy testing is designed to ensure the machines count ballots accurately.
Sources:
azmirror.com
thegatewaypundit.com
Walter Ringfield Jr., a 27-year-old Phoenix resident, was charged with one count of theft and one count of criminal damage after he allegedly took a lanyard with the fob and keys attached while working in the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center.
Ringfield told detectives during his arrest that he took the fob for 20 minutes the day before and then gave it back. However, detectives located the fob in his house after obtaining a search warrant. His motive for taking it was unclear, but he suggested to detectives that it may have been a mistake.
The alleged theft comes as election workers across Arizona and the country attempt to secure elections, and amid rising concerns over potential insider threats. The Arizona Secretary of State's Office said in a statement that "while this event is unwelcome, it speaks [to] the effectiveness of the security protocols built into Arizona's election systems."
County staff noticed on Friday morning that the lanyard was missing, according to the county's statement. The lanyard had a plastic key on it as well as the security fob, which workers use to gain access to the machines to program them. The workers hold the fob to the tabulators, and then enter a password before getting access.
Detectives went to Ringfield’s home on Friday, and he told them he was fired because his employer thought he stole something, but he said he gave the fob back. Detectives spotted the lanyard in his car at his house and then, after executing a search warrant, found the security fob on top of a dresser in the master bedroom.
The security breach means that the county must now reprogram its machines and security fobs at a cost of $19,000, according to the detectives’ report. County officials will also redo the preelection logic and accuracy testing “to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County Elections,” according to a statement from the county’s elections department.
Ringfield started on June 3 as a temporary election worker for the tabulation center. He had previously been charged with theft after an incident in July 2023, but he entered a diversion program and was not convicted, according to county court records. Maricopa County spokesperson Jennifer Liewer said that the county conducted a background check on him before hiring him, and that no convictions were found.
Maricopa County is hiring more than 530 temporary election workers in preparation for the state’s July 30 primary, in addition to more than 2,200 poll workers. The county has advertised openings on its website and social media accounts.
Mail ballots go out on July 3, and the county had already programmed and tested its voting machines. The security breach means that the county must now reprogram its machines and security fobs at a cost of $19,000, according to the detectives’ report. County officials will also redo the preelection logic and accuracy testing “to ensure the integrity of Maricopa County Elections,” according to a statement from the county’s elections department. The logic and accuracy testing is designed to ensure the machines count ballots accurately.
Sources:
azmirror.com
thegatewaypundit.com
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