Mark Brnovich, Arizona attorney general during Trump’s push to find 2020 election fraud, has died
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s top law enforcement official, Mark Brnovich, has died as Arizona became the epicenter of efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to find evidence that the 2020 election was marred by fraud. He was 59 years old.
Brnovich died Monday after suffering a heart attack, the family’s representative, Katie Conner, said Tuesday.
Brnovich’s colleagues and friends praised him for his work in public service, which has included serving as a judge, prosecutor, attorney and director of the Arizona Department of Gaming. Former Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Brnovich’s passion for law, justice and victims were hallmarks of his career.
“For those of us who had the honor to call him a friend, his sense of humor, positivity, and happy warrior spirit were infectious. May he rest in peace,” Ducey said on social platform X.
Brnovich, a Republican, was in his second term as Arizona attorney general while his office was investigating the 2020 election. Arizona was among the states that Joe Biden won that year to deny Trump re-election to the presidency.
Brnovich released an interim report in April 2022 that outlined concerns about some election procedures but did not provide any evidence of significant problems despite a six-month investigation.
At the time, Brnovich was seeking the Republican nomination. US Senate He faced harsh criticism from Trump, who claimed he did not do enough to investigate election fraud. Brnovich asked for support from Trump but did not receive it.
When current Attorney General Kris Mayes took office, Brnovich suppressed findings from inspectors. Mayes said records show the 2020 election was “conducted fairly and accurately by election officials.”
The documents he released also showed that Brnovich concealed a separate memo systematically debunking election conspiracies that had taken root on the right wing, including claims of dead or duplicate voters, pre-marked ballots from Asia, allegations of manipulation by internet-connected election servers and even satellites controlled by the Italian military.
Mayes said in X that he was saddened to hear of Brnovich’s sudden death and that he devoted many years to public service. He expressed his condolences to his wife Susan and family.
Brnovich lost the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in 2021. launches its campaignBrnovich described himself as the son of immigrants who fled communism in Yugoslavia. He said he used his position as attorney general to counter “crony capitalists” and government overreach while promoting religious freedom, border security and election integrity.
In April, Trump nominated Brnovich to be ambassador to Serbia, but he withdrew his nomination in October.
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McAvoy reported from Honolulu.
