Pinal County supervisor claims county recorder defamed him and should not run elections

A Pinal County supervisor threatened to sue his colleagues last week, saying the county's recorder cannot be trusted overseeing elections.

Supervisor Kevin Cavanaugh's notice of claim, a precursor to a lawsuit against a county, alleges that Recorder Dana Lewis has accused Cavanaugh of wiretapping her office in conversations with county employees. The claim asserts defamation and says he's suffered reputational harm and potential impacts to future employment prospects as a result.

His claim demands Lewis be removed from her position as county election director and that the county pay him nearly $500,000 in damages. Cavanaugh is currently running for county sheriff, and his claim suggests Lewis would somehow interfere in the race.

"No reasonable person can believe that Dana Lewis will act without bias in administering an election in which the claimant is on the ballot," the claim reads.

Lewis defended her work in a statement to The Arizona Republic.

"I am confident that should the claimant move forward, the citizens of Pinal County will find that the trust I have worked hard to earn and maintain is well placed," she said. "I am certain that the execution of my duties as Pinal County Recorder and Elections Director meet the ethical expectation of our citizens."

Pinal County officials said they were following their "normal process" of directing the claim to their insurance carrier.

"Although this claim was filed by a sitting supervisor, that fact should not create the assumption that the allegations are accurate, valid or correct," county officials said in a written statement to The Republic. "That will be for the carrier to assess as those allegations are reviewed."

Cavanaugh's notice includes numerous emails from an anonymous person who claimed to be an employee in Lewis's office. The person isn't named in the claim or in the emails. Their messages allege Lewis misused taxpayer money, contributed to a hostile workplace and is knowingly using inaccurate tabulators.

But Cavanaugh also has a checkered history. In May, two Pinal County employees settled a lawsuit accusing him of spreading retaliatory, false rumors for $40,000. The settlement came after an independent investigation commissioned by Pinal County found Cavanaugh made complaints of employee quid pro quo in the Pinal County Attorney's Office without any factual basis.

Cavanaugh did not immediately respond to The Republic's request for comment.

A frosty relationship

News of the claim comes after years of bickering over election procedures in Pinal County.

Cavanaugh has often questioned tabulators, the machines that tally votes on paper ballots, and has, at times, pushed for the county to hand count. He's long been known for peppering election officials with questions at county meetings.

Lewis began her role as the head of the county's election operations last year on the heels of a rough 2022 cycle. Her July appointment came after former Elections Director Geraldine Roll resigned with a scathing email to County Manager Leo Lew, citing a toxic work environment and attempts by county supervisors to politicize the Elections Department.

Since then, Cavanaugh and Lewis have had a frosty relationship. Cavanaugh was the lone supervisor to vote against a new elections agreement between the Board of Supervisors and Lewis in September. The document served as a blueprint of election responsibilities and was the final step in putting Lewis at the helm of most of the county's election operations.

During an August meeting, Cavanaugh questioned Lewis's qualifications and background. He probed whether Lewis had ever had a background check and directly asked Lewis if she had a "criminal background."

Lewis told him during the meeting that she did undergo a background check when she was first hired at the Recorder's Office and that she has no criminal record.

Meanwhile, the county is barreling toward this year's state primary and general elections. Lewis is tasked with ensuring those elections go flawlessly, with no repeats of the county's 2022 election blunders. So far, the county has successfully pulled off a November jurisdictional election and the recent presidential preference.

Sasha Hupka covers county government and regional issues for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip to share? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pinal Co. supervisor says county recorder defamed him, threatens suit