Arizona auditors backtrack, say no election data destroyed

AP via Yahoo ^ | May 18th, 2021 | JONATHAN J. COOPER

[Mariner]

PHOENIX (AP) — Firms hired to run a partisan audit of the 2020 election for Senate Republicans in Arizona said Tuesday that data was not destroyed, reversing earlier allegations that election officials in the state's most populated county eliminated evidence.

The claim of deleted databases was amplified by former President Donald Trump and his supporters, who believe conspiracy theories about election irregularities.

Ben Cotton, founder of a computer forensics firm working on the audit, told key senators that he had recovered all data. The revelation came a day after Maricopa County officials released a scathing letter saying the auditors couldn't find the data because they didn't know where to look.

“I have the information I need from the recovery efforts of the data,” said Cotton, founder of CyFIR LLC.

He spoke at a livestreamed hearing called by Republican Senate President Karen Fann to demand answers from county officials about the allegation of deleted data and improper documentation of ballot storage.

The GOP-controlled county Board of Supervisors refused to show up, instead holding a blistering meeting of their own Monday to refute the allegations. They called the audit a “sham” and said Fann's auditors are incompetent.

[FreeReign]

On Twitter, we'd be getting pummeled by the FakeNews bots, quoting "knowledgeable-sounding" snippets like we see here from the pumpers, while the rebuttal videos would be getting blocked and deleted by the Tweetstapo, ScrewBloob and FascistBuch.

Yes, I noticed the knowledgeable-sounding snippets here. They have no idea.

[fr_freak]

LOLOLOLOL

I read a couple of articles about the same subject before I ran into this pathetic post.

First article: auditors manage to recover data
Second article: auditing team recover deleted database
This POS propaganda article: "Arizona auditors backtrack, say no election data destroyed"

And we have people here either dumb enough to fall for the propaganda AGAIN, or just leftwing shills posing as Freepers. I thought the shills were all busy pushing masks and vaccines, but alas.

[TribalPrincess2U]

the data WAS deleted...that’s the point I’m making. WHY?

[kiryandil]

Ape Pee , XiNN and their defenders here are trying to fog over the WHY...

[Mariner]

“The Maricopa elections data base files were illegally accessed at least 5 times between the end of the election and the time someone ultimately deleted and tried to erase them on 4/12/21 - several days before they were to turned over to the auditors.”

How can you substantiate that assertion?

[Auntie Dem]

... Someone with administrative access “deleted” the database folder, but the audit team was able to recover the deleted folder and its files because that deletion was the last thing done to the machines before they were handed over. When stolen money is recovered no one says, “Well the police backtracked on the robbery.”

What are the chances that the "Deleter" copied the original database before the fraud was committed, altered the ballot data, then deleted the altered database and copied the original "legit" database over the top of it? Forensics can read several layers deep on the disk to read earlier data, did the Cyber Ninjas do this? If not, there could be egg on someone's face when/if nothing is found "wrong" in the "recovered" database.

[Mariner]

“What do you do?”

I am a retired CCNP, CISSP and PMP.

I was in government and private IT for over 40 years.

[Bullish]

Accountability is not in this govt’s lexicon.

[Mariner]

“I think what they actually said was they were able to recover the deleted information”

They said they “were able to recover the database”.

Coincidentally the day after the County told them where to find it. And there’s been no use of the word “deleted” since.

[semimojo]

What are the chances that the "Deleter" copied the original database before the fraud was committed, altered the ballot data, then deleted the altered database and copied the original "legit" database over the top of it?...

...there could be egg on someone's face when/if nothing is found "wrong" in the "recovered" database.

Outstanding.

That's truly next-level conspiracy theory planning.

If it turns out that the "recovered" database is exactly the same as the one on the County's machines that will prove both were altered.

Bulletproof logic.

[Auntie Dem]

..I have been able to recover all of those deleted files, and I have access to that data. When he says "deleted files" he referring to the ones the MFT indicated were deleted.

His "recovery" consisted of pointing the MFT to the right location on the RAID array, where the files had been all along.

If the auditor was using the wrong Raid mode how could he see anything, let alone the MFT, at all?

I have accidentally entered my servers raid configuration and selected the wrong raid mode and could not see any drives at all. If you're using the wrong raid mode all you see is either crap or nothing. Disclaimer: I am not an IT professional. Note the auditor said he "recovered" the data not "located" it.

[Auntie Dem]

Remember, you’re not paranoid if they really are out to get you.

[rdcbn1]

This has been publicly disclosed by Maricopa County.

Specific disclosed by Mark Finchem, Kelli Ward and Sonny Borrelli.

Seem to recall Karen Fann also mentioning the issue in a hearing. .

This is one of the issues that is driving chain of custody concerns with the elections data while in the hands of Maricopa County

[TribalPrincess2U]

I see. Should have known.

[semimojo]

I have accidentally entered my servers raid configuration and selected the wrong raid mode and could not see any drives at all.

I don't know all of the particulars but it seems the auditor was using some analysis tools and may have misinterpreted the results.

There's more detailed information here and here.

[Mr.FixIt]

I transcribed the dialog from Revel's link: https://rumble.com/vh9633-maricopa-county-election-databases-recovered-arizona..html. Here is what was said:

Cotton: "...all of this, however, may be a moot point because subsequently I've been able to recover all of those deleted files that I have access to that data."

Senator Peterson: "So, umm, with that being said, do you, do we st, do you still need to get that database from the county or did that rebuilding or reconstr... umm recovery that you did, is that going, does have the information you currently need umm, for that database?"

Cotton: "I have the information I need from the recovery efforts of the data."

Senator Peterson: "ok, well that's some, I that's some good news."

[Osage Orange]

But you don’t do video ????

[PerConPat]

btt

[Osage Orange]

I am a retired CCNP, CISSP and PMP.

WTF does any of that mean

[Osage Orange]

Tell me what all that means,,,

I've letters behind my name too.