September 29, 2026

FONTES RELEASES YEARS OF WITHHELD FELONY RECORDS AFTER RECORDER HEAP SOUNDS ALARM

PHOENIX, ARIZONA—County recorders across Arizona received federal felony files spanning 2023 through the second quarter of 2026 last night, days after Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap publicly exposed the Secretary of State’s failure to follow the law and provide them. Reports for the third and fourth quarters of 2025 are still missing. Secretary Adrian Fontes’ office says it will upload them by the end of the week.

Heap’s office raised the alarm on behalf of Recorders statewide. Heap’s efforts have now put long-delayed records in the hands of all 15 county recorders, allowing them to review registrations that may require cancellation under Arizona law.

“Last week, Adrian Fontes was still telling the public that the DOJ was to blame. I spoke directly with DOJ officials, who confirmed they had consistently provided these felony reports to the Secretary of State’s Office over the past four years. The moment our office exposed his failure, years of records suddenly appeared,” said Recorder Heap. “Fontes lied to Arizonans, neglected his duty, and moved only when public pressure left him no choice. This is a win for every county Recorder who has been denied the information needed to maintain accurate voter rolls.”

Fontes’ delay has now left recorders racing to review years of felony records just days before early ballots are mailed. Work that should have been done consistently over time has been dumped on the Recorders at the eleventh hour, making it far more difficult to resolve potentially ineligible registrations before voting begins. Recorder Heap calls on Fontes to provide the two remaining reports immediately.

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
[email protected]