Second Cochise County Elections Director to resign post in 2023 offers grim assessment as we enter 2024 election season: "this is a toxic environment."

Bob Bartelsmeyer speaks with CRN concerning threats, and the malignant atmosphere of conspiracy theories and elections denialism spurred by county supervisors, others...

Friday, September 29, 2023, was Bob Bartelsmeyer's last day serving as elections director of Cochise County. His first day on the job was May 30. That's four months. Bartelsmeyer's predecessor, Lisa Marra, tendered her resignation in late January. Now, as Cochise County lurches into the 2024 election season with no elections director at the wheel, Bartelsmeyer offers grim parting words:

"This is a toxic environment. I have to think about my health and stress."

Bartelsmeyer and Marra (both Republicans) cited personal attacks and threats from supporters of elections-centered conspiracy theories aligned with the MAGA wing of the Republican party as impetus for their departures. Marra also cited antagonism from Cochise County Supervisors Peggy Judd and Tom Crosby (both of whom are also Republicans) as a contributing factor.

Bartelsmeyer, for his part, told Cochise Regional News that he did not have any support from the County in the face of verbal attacks and threats from members of the public, and that Supervisors Judd and Crosby consistently opposed his recommendations concerning elections matters, in favor of largely irrational objections.

Records of email correspondence obtained by CRN through public records requests indicate that Marra departed Cochise County under a torrent of abuse and elections-related threats directed at herself and other Cochise County personnel.

When asked by CRN if he had suffered death threats or threats of violence, Bartelsmeyer said, "not death threats, but I have been threatened [...] that I should do, that I should, be promoting hand counts and paper ballots, and do away with the voting machines."

Bartelsmeyer further stated that part of his reason for departure was his "being attacked personally at the Board of Supervisors meetings."

"The last Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board of Supervisors voted down vote centers, and there were people who came out and said things against me, and I didn't have any support from anybody in the County. That offended me, so I'm not gonna be here where I don't have support."

Bartelsmeyer said that during this meeting, members of the public called for his termination, said he had "no brain," and hurled other insults.

The issue of contention, said Bartelsmeyer, was whether to use the voter centers that had been used as polling places in the 2022 election. He said that Supervisors Judd and Crosby, along with abusive members of the public, opposed the use of the voter centers and preferred to have polling places in each of the county's voter precincts instead. Bartelsmeyer said that he tried to tell the Board and public that there were not enough locations throughout mostly-rural Cochise County that could serve as precinct voting centers in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates standards of accessibility for the disabled and elderly. Failure to comply with the ADA would likely result in federal intervention or lawsuits, warned Bartelsmeyer. He said that the cost to the county of meeting the demands of Crosby, Judd, and public opponents of the voting centers would have amounted to at least $300,000.

Bartelsmeyer said that at other meetings he also faced abuse from the public and unreasoning dissent from Crosby and Judd over the use of mail-in ballots and the use of voting machines.

On January 6, 2021, Supervisor Judd attended the "Stop the Steal" march on the U.S. Capitol. In comments made to myself (then reporting for the Tucson Sentinel), Judd also seemed to espouse the Q Anon conspiracy theory and suggested that "antifa" had been responsible for the violent siege of the Capitol.

On January 6, 2021, supporters of then-President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol in an effort to block the Congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results (an election Donald Trump lost).

Judd denied entering the Capitol building during the events of January 6.

Since the midterm elections of 2022, Crosby and Judd, touting the testimony of unqualified "experts," have challenged the efficacy of the County's voting systems. Both demanded a full hand count of ballots cast in that year's election. Crosby and Judd also refused to certify the results of the 2022 midterm elections for an extended period of time.

Then-Elections Director Marra refused to comply with Crosby and Judd, who were also joined by Cochise County Recorder David Stevens (a Republican) in their demands for a hand recount of the ballots. Marra stated that the Elections Department's release of the ballots and such a hand count would have been illegal. Marra was supported in this assessment by Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (a Democrat) and Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre (a Republican), and a judge later confirmed this stance.

In response to Marra's refusal to cooperate with their hand count demands, Judd and Crosby sued Marra in her personal capacity, forcing Marra to hire a private attorney. Crosby and Judd quickly dropped the lawsuit.

In late May, just about the time Bartelsmeyer reported for his first day on the job as Cochise County's new director of elections, Marra was awarded a payout of $130,000 from the county's insurance pool, due to her claim that the county had subjected her to a "toxic" work environment.

Bartelsmeyer, who had served as director of elections in La Paz County in 2022, entered the office of Cochise County Elections Director under criticism from some in the community who noted that, following the 2020 presidential election, he had made social media posts questioning the outcome of that election.

Concerns were also raised that Bartlesmeyer, due to the maneuvering of Stevens, Judd, and Crosby, would spend his first several months at the helm of the Elections Department (until September 7) answering to Recorder Stevens, rather than as a more freely-functioning department head, answerable to county administration.

Concerns about Stevens were not without merit. Not only had Stevens joined Crosby and Judd in their efforts to gain an illegal hand count of the 2022 ballots, but he also served as one of the directors of Election Fairness Institute/Pathway Research and Education Corporation (EFI)-- which, in 2018, Stevens had co-founded with his personal friend, Tucson-area-real-estate-agent-turned-state-lawmaker, turned-2022-Arizona-Secretary-of-State-candidate, Mark Finchem.

Finchem, a vocal proponent of false claims relating to Trump's failed 2020 election, lost his own 2022 bid for the office of Arizona Secretary of State to former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. Following his election loss, Finchem sued Fontes, seeking to overturn the elections results. A judge later ruled Finchem's claims were baseless and ordered him to pay more than $40,000 in legal fees and sanctions to Fontes.

Finchem serves as the chief executive officer of the Elections Fairness Institute.

Stevens and Finchem were joined in EFI's leadership by John Birch Society activist and field organizer Heather Hobbs earlier in this year.

The John Birch Society arose among the political fringes of American society in the 1950s, espousing beliefs that the U.S. government was in the grips of a vast communist conspiracy, and that President Dwight Eisenhower was, in fact, a communist operative. Though the group had been subject to widespread ridicule and seemed practically dead for decades, it does appear to be making a resurgence in our current political climate.

Arizona Corporation Commission records show that Stevens was apparently removed as a director of EFI on September 1. Stevens did not respond to CRN requests for comment.

So, it was with this background, and in the midst of this chaos, that Bob Bartelsmeyer joined the riotous world of Cochise County in 2023.

Bartelsmeyer told CRN that he had had no personal problem with Stevens. CRN asked Bartelsmeyer if he was aware of Stevens' role in EFI, and whether he believed sources of misinformation such as the John Birch Society or prominent elections deniers like Mark Finchem may be feeding into the toxic atmosphere surrounding elections.

"I don't know anything about what he's been doing, or whatever, but I do know that he and Tom Crosby are real close," said Bartlesmeyer.

Listening to Bartelsmeyer recount his time in Cochise County, it is clear that Crosby is the supervisor who most got under his skin. On one occasion, Bartelsmeyer witnessed what he interpreted as Supervisor Crosby attacking, or attempting to embarrass, Supervisor Judd in relation to the voting centers issue.

"Tom Crosby was against the vote centers, and he attacked Peggy Judd in the meeting-- and I said 'I don't want to be in this environment," said Bartelsmeyer.

But, aside from this meanness, Bartelsmeyer said that he just does not understand the recurrent theme voiced by Crosby (and Judd), of there being some issue with voting machines and the need to conduct elections by hand.

Bartelsmeyer said that he entered his career as an elections worker in 1979 in Missouri, at a time when ballots were being counted by hand. As a result, he said he can attest to the fact that through late nights of tabulating, workers get tired-- eyes get fatigued, mistakes happen.

"Human error is relevant," said Bartelsmeyer.

When asked by CRN if he thinks Crosby's incessant criticism of the county's voting system has come from the realm of unfounded conspiracy theory, Bartelsmeyer said: "Yeah, I think so... yeah."

Bartelsmeyer said he never felt any threat from Crosby or Judd directly, but did say that he believes the roll of these two supervisors in casting doubt on the elections system has fed into the threatening and "toxic" atmosphere in Cochise County.

"Oh, I think so," said Bartlesmeyer when asked if he believed Judd and Crosby have stoked these flames. "I think it's swelled, and I think there's a group of people that is very vocal. I think it's a [vocal] minority that time, after time, every board of supervisors [meeting], they come up, or they come and want to speak-- it's on different topics. It's just a group of people that... ah... is against our voting system."

Crosby did not respond to requests for comment.

Some in the Cochise County community have cast doubt on whether Marra suffered the abuse she claimed to.

In April of this year, Terri Jo Neff, writing for the right-leaning online publication, Arizona Daily Independent, dedicated an entire article to refuting reporting published by Arizona Public Media (AZPM), which described a specific death threat reportedly targeting Marra. Neff's reporting described AZPM's coverage as false, saying it 'detracted from real victims.'

In the article, Neff stated that Marra "parlayed her claims" of having received threats "into a powerful position working for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes."

Marra, a respected and award-winning elections worker, became Deputy Director of Elections at the Office of the Arizona Secretary of State following her departure from Cochise County.

Neff's reporting for the Arizona Daily Independent appears to carry an editorial bias in favor elections deniers, regularly reporting on the legal challenges of Kari Lake (who unsuccessfully ran for Arizona governor in 2022) and Abraham Hamadeh (who unsuccessfully ran for Arizona attorney general in 2022). Neff has also covered the contentious elections issues of Cochise County extensively for the Arizona Daily Independent.

Marra declined CRN's request to comment on her experiences in Cochise County.

CRN has, however, obtained a copy of a "cease and desist" letter sent by Michael Goldberg, a private attorney retained by Marra, to Neff on August 22, 2022. In the letter, Goldberg stated that allegedly false statements in Neff's own reporting had been encouraging threats against his client.

"It has come to our attention that you are publishing defamatory and libelous news articles about Ms. Marra and her actions as the Director of Elections. We are in receipt of these news articles, which contain false and unsubstantiated claims about our client.

"It is our understanding that you have never contacted Ms. Marra for an official comment or to verify the information contained in these articles. These articles have resulted in Ms. Marra receiving threatening phone calls from individuals who have read these defamatory and unsubstantiated articles."

Goldberg did not respond when CRN asked him which of Neff's articles, or what alleged falsehoods, the letter referenced.

Neff told CRN that neither Marra or Goldberg identified to her which pieces of her reporting they believed to be defamatory or libelous. Neff said she did not respond to Goldberg's letter.

In her Aril 2023 reporting concerning threats against Marra, Neff-- who did not disclose that Marra's attorney had sent her a letter claiming her own prior reporting had served as impetus for threatening phone calls received by Marra-- brushed aside Marra's public claims that she had received threatening phone calls. Instead, Neff chose to focus on a heavily redacted police report that had been obtained by Arizona Public Media (AZPM) and reported on as a threat directed at Marra.

Cochise Regional News has obtained a copy of the threatening email referenced in the redacted police report discussed in AZPM's reporting. It is true that the email was not addressed to Marra as a direct recipient, yet it may not require a stretch of the imagination to see how Marra-- then Director of Elections in Cochise County-- may have felt her life was being threatened.

The email, dated October 22, 2022 was sent to the public email accounts of then-Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs and Cochise County Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney Christine Roberts.

The subject line of the email, authored by "Todd Olson," was "Subject: Election Integrity." It read:

"Attention Katie Hobbs, Kori Lorick [then-sate elections director], and Christine Roberts.

"Attention ALL Corrupt and Treasonous Government Officials.....

"If you Cunt Lickers continue to fuck with the integrity of the AZ Elections......

"I guarantee you, We the People will remove you from office.....

"Additionally, if you own a home......

"We will find you through the Tax Assessors Website...

"Remember the French revolution of 1799??.....” [sic]

It probably goes without saying, but many of those who were targeted through the French Revolution were executed.

Other records obtained by CRN clearly document the abusive and angry torrent of emails received by Marra and other Cochise County elections personnel. Records reflect that Marra frequently advised the Cochise County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), Arizona Department of Public Safety, and FBI of communications and individuals that she had concern may escalate to violence.

One such email, dated June 22, 2022, from "Sheila Garcia" sent to the email address of Cochise County Recorder Stevens, with the subject line "Lisa M Marra Director of Elections," read:

"So now you're threatening county election workers and applicants with their jobs if they question the validity and fairness of our elections? The US Constitution says We the People can question any damn thing we want! So here's a little threat for you, the U.S. Military WILL arrest, prosecute and sentence EVERYONE involved in the coup against a sitting and overwhelmingly re-elected President. So think about my email when you're sweating your skanky ass off in GITMO." [sic]

It probably goes without saying that punishment, particularly by military tribunal, for offenses such as treason plots and coups, is likely to be death.

In her reporting regarding AZPM and threats made against Marra, Neff failed to mention this or other similar correspondence. In fact, Neff wrote: "a public records request submitted last August seeking support of [Marra's claims of threats] has resulted in the release of dozens of records-- none of which mention a threat or suggestion that Marra or her staff might be placed in harm's way for doing their job."

Though Neff and right-leaning outlets like the Arizona Daily Independent seem loathe to acknowledge the threat election misinformation has posed to our county elections personnel, Bartelsmeyer told CRN that, in light of his experiences over the past four months in Cochise County, he has no doubt of the veracity of Marra's claims.

"Yeah, I believe Lisa. I have no doubt to question her about anything," said Bartelsmeyer.

Neff, for her part, told CRN that she denies her reporting has been critical of Marra's claims relating to the threatening environment in Cochise County. Rather, she asserted that her reporting: "simply published that the DEATH THREAT reported as being made against her was NOT made against her." [sic]

When asked whether she is concerned that any of her reporting regarding elections issues may have resulted in a threatening atmosphere against elections workers, as was alleged in Marra's August 2022 "cease and desist" letter, Neff told CRN she's "not sure what 'false claims' I have alleged or advocated in my reporting or in my personal life."

Neff declined to answer CRN's questions relating to whether she is personally a proponent of claims of elections fraud and irregularities, as asserted by Lake, Hamadeh, Finchem, and Trump. She said her personal beliefs are "irrelevant."

Whether local right wing media wants to own up to our threatening and "toxic" reality surrounding elections, or the potential harms posed through claims of failed candidates seeking to undermine our elections, it seems Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels acknowledges the level of threat surrounding these issues.

Dannels is far from a liberal; the Republican Sheriff spoke at a 2019 conference of the far-right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association (CSPOA), sharing the stage with keynote speaker and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. In May of this year, Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for his role in the seditious conspiracy to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election results through the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Nevertheless, in a series of emails on November 23 and 24, 2022, between himself, Marra, Christine Roberts, and numerous other Cochise County Attorney's Office (CCAO), CCSO, and county administrative personnel, Dannels acknowledged the "crazy" coursing through the veins of Cochise County.

Records indicate that on November 23, Marra had written CCSO, CCAO, and Cochise County administrative personnel to flag a vitriolic communication sent to herself, Lorick, Cochise County supervisors and local state legislators, asserting that electronic elections systems were compromised and the 2020 election was "stolen." The communication had been signed by Cochise County resident Dan LaChance.

Marra said she was flagging the communication for the attention of CCSO and CCAO because LaChance had physically "got in Christine [Robert's] face" at a recent public meeting and "was escorted out by a deputy."

Marra went on to say that LaChance had "harassed" her during the 2020 election cycle, to the point where CCSO had "to get involved," and that "security continues to be a concern at the elections [department]."

In closing, Marra stated: "the continued actions by two members of the [Board of Supervisors] places employees of all levels in elevating danger."

In response, on November 24, Dannels responded to Marra and other county personnel, saying that he remembered LaChance.

"This is same individual wishing my office arrest the Sierra Vista school board too. He had a petition with around 80 signatures which included our own BOS member out of District One [Crosby].

"We will have security a the meeting on Monday and if anyone needs 'anything' from this office, please let myself and/or my leadership team know.

"With all the unwarranted crazy, I wish with high hopes that you all have a relaxing and memorable Thanksgiving!!"

When I interviewed Supervisor Judd in early 2021 in relation to her attendance at the January 6 march on the U.S. Capitol, Judd said she felt as if she were being "defiled" and "punished" by those who questioned her judgement in attending the rally. Her tone is much the same today when answering for her part in the "toxic" environment cited by Bartelsmeyer and Marra.

Asked by CRN whether she believes she has helped to foster the threatening and "toxic" atmosphere surrounding elections in Cochise County, Judd said she is the biggest victim of all.

"I do not blame myself for fueling the toxic environment. I suffered more than any of the elections directors did and there is proof of that," said Judd. "Being elected means you have no protection from this, however, and also no recourse. It is part of the job. I am not a quitter and am very sorry that two excellent elections directors, who were also not quitters, were driven out. In my opinion, each time that happens it only emboldens the public efforts to upset the system."

As evidence of her suffering, Judd provided CRN with three audio recordings containing what she said were threats left on her voicemail. She also referenced a glowingly sympathetic article written on herself by Neff for the Arizona Daily Independent, entitled "Supervisor Remains Stoic in Face of Harassing Emails and Scary Voicemails" [a stark contrast from the tone of Neff's coverage of Marra's reported harassment].

Two of the threatening voicemails provided to CRN by Judd sounded to be of the same male voice, and to be coming from a more right-leaning elections stance. The third threatening recording seemed to be of a separate male voice, spewing hate and threats from a more left-leaning political stance. All three recordings were vulgar and threatening.

Her ultimate victimhood aside, Judd acknowledged that "it is unfortunate that certain individuals in our community are so comfortable attacking anyone and everyone that doesn't believe the way they do." She added that she is "done associating with them."

When asked who she was referring to, Judd indicated she was speaking of Dan LaChance and his "We the People group."

Judd went on to tell CRN that she won't "even go to" Legislative District 19 or Cochise County Republican Committee meetings "in case they are there."

"They like to boo and hiss," she added.

It should be noted that an assessment of alleged problems with electronic voting systems in Arizona, authored by LaChance, was entered into the court record as a supporting exhibit to Finchem's unsuccessful attempt to challenge his loss in the 2022 election. Finchem is a friend of Cochise County Recorder Stevens, with whom he co-founded the Election Fairness Institute. Stevens has been a vocal proponent of the hand count and other election 'reform' issues championed by Judd and Crosby.

LaChance could not be reached for comment.

In any event, Bartelsmeyer told Cochise Regional News he is looking forward to returning to La Paz County-- the place may have its own problems, but it's no Cochise County.

"I do know that the Republican chairman, of the party in La Paz, has posted on the website that they are in favor of 100-percent hand count, and doing away with electronic tabulations and stuff," said Bartelsmeyer. "But, but-- there's a difference in La Paz County: the supervisors are wonderful. They stand behind-- all three of them-- behind me, or behind the system that we used in 2022. There were no problems, they're welcoming me back with open arms. That's a big plus, you know."

Bartelsmeyer told CRN that his time in Cochise County has changed some of his views relative to social media posts he had made questioning the integrity of previous elections. He said that, while he still has some questions regarding the 2020 election, he now believes some of his concerns were based in "misinformation."

"I've found that things that were done here-- the elections office-- could not have been done any better. Because what your personal opinions may be are separate from your duties as elections director-- you have to put that aside and that doesn't influence me at all with I had to do here in the office," said Bartelsmeyer.

"I'm just trying to follow the law."

Cochise Regional News asked Bartelsmeyer if being on the receiving end of distrust, hostility, and toxicity surrounding elections issues in Cochise County has changed his views on the dangers of elections misinformation.

"I think so.... yep..... yep," said Bartelsmeyer.