Arizona official pleads guilty in 2022 election certification case

A Republican county supervisor in Arizona pleaded guilty Monday after she tried to delay certification of the 2022 midterm election results, state Attorney General Kris Mayes announced.

Peggy Judd, a Cochise County supervisor, pleaded guilty to failing to perform duties as an election officer, a misdemeanor. She acknowledged that she failed to canvass the election as required by law, the attorney general's office said.

Judd will be sentenced to unsupervised probation for at least 90 days and pay a maximum $500 fine, the attorney general's office said. NBC News has reached out to her for comment.

“Any attempt to interfere with elections in Arizona will not be tolerated. My office will continue to pursue justice and ensure that anyone who undermines our electoral system is held accountable,” Mayes, a Democrat, in a statement.

Mayes added, “Today’s plea agreement and sentencing should serve as a strong reminder that I will not hesitate to use every tool available to uphold the rule of law and protect the integrity of Arizona’s elections."

Judd was originally charged by a state grand jury in November 2023 along with another Cochise County supervisor, Tom Crosby, who also tried to delay the certification of the 2022 election results. They were charged with two felonies, conspiring to delay the certification of the election results and interfering with the secretary of state’s statewide canvass. Both are felonies that carry prison terms of 6 months to 2½ years.

Even before the 2022 midterm elections, Judd and Crosby questioned the voting machines used in their county and wanted to hand-count the ballots, which Arizona law doesn't allow. Judd attended former President Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021; in an interview with the Tucson Sentinel, she denied entering the Capitol with other rioters following the rally.