PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has served a cease and desist letter to GOP candidate Gail Golec after Golec encouraged voters to steal pens from voting locations on Tuesday.
Golec has promoted unfounded conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and has been urging supporters to use a blue ballpoint pen instead of felt-tip pens.
Screencaps of Golec's telegram channel have also shown her encouraging the theft of those pens.
Golec claimed on Twitter that felt-tipped pens led to "ghost votes" or "bleed through votes."
This is despite the fact that the Maricopa County Elections Department has confirmed that the fast-drying ink of felt-tip pens is safe for use in the ballot counting machines.
In the cease and desist letter, Mitchell stated that theft of the pens was a "deliberate attempt to interfere with election administration."
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She also called for Golec to issue a retraction on Twitter, acknowledging that "no one should steal pens from voting locations, and urging that no one do so."
Instead of that, Golec posted the letter to Twitter claiming, "My intention is to Protect Our Vote, not encourage you to steal pens."
This development comes in the wake of 2020's 'Sharpiegate' conspiracy theory.
Despite the lack of evidence and the fact that Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich said there was nothing to the conspiracy theory, the County switched to Pentel brand pens to address the concerns.
The Maricopa County Elections Department confirmed that there have been reports of pens being stolen, and reminded voters to not remove any polling materials from the polling place, including the pens.
Polls close at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
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