Alexander Kolodin, a House Representative from Arizona, said that officials failed to promptly notify federal authorities and attempted to downplay a cyberattack on the state’s election system. This statement was made on X.
“The more that comes out on this AZ cyberattack the more this reeks of a cover-up,” said Kolodin, State Representative from Arizona. “Why wasn’t the Trump admin notified immediately? Why wasn’t the DOJ notified immediately? Why did Fontes try to downplay & sweep this under the rug?”
Arizona’s election system recently became the target of a cyberattack, leading to state and federal investigations, as reported by The Arizona Republic. Hackers attempted to breach county election infrastructure, prompting an immediate response from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review vulnerabilities and secure sensitive data. This incident has intensified the debate over digital election security in the state.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), state election systems in the United States have faced hundreds of cyberattacks over the past five years, with increased activity during presidential cycles. Most incidents are prevented or result in minimal disruption; however, the persistence of such threats has compelled states to continually enhance their defenses.
The Center for Internet Security reports that thousands of cyber incidents have targeted state election systems over the last decade. Many breaches remain unreported or are only revealed after independent audits. Publicly disclosed incidents constitute just a fraction of the actual cyber threats faced by election systems nationwide.
Kolodin is an Arizona state legislator and attorney recognized for his legislative leadership on election integrity and cybersecurity, as noted by the Arizona House of Representatives. He has sponsored bills aimed at strengthening election system security and is actively involved in legal advocacy for transparency in election administration.