Mark Brnovich, the primary holder of judicial authority in Arizona at the time when that federal state became the epicenter of attempts by President Donald Trump and his allies to find evidence that the 2020 elections were marked by fraud, has passed away at the age of 59.
Brnovich died following a heart attack on Monday, Katie Conner, a family representative, announced on Tuesday, reports AP.
Colleagues and friends of Mark Brnovich paid tribute to him for his work in public service, which included roles as a judge, prosecutor, lawyer, and director of the Department of Gaming for the state of Arizona. Former Republican Governor of Arizona Doug Ducey said that Brnovich’s passion for law, justice, and victims were the hallmarks of his career.
“For all of us who had the blessing to call him a friend, his humor, positivity, and fighting spirit were always infectious. May he rest in peace,” Ducey wrote on the social network X.
Brnovich, a Republican, was in his second term as Arizona’s Attorney General when his office led the investigation into the 2020 election. Arizona was among the states won that year by Joe Biden, which prevented Donald Trump’s reelection as president.
In April 2022, Brnovich released a preliminary report expressing concerns about certain election procedures but provided no evidence of serious irregularities, despite a six-month investigation.
At that time, Brnovich was seeking the Republican nomination for a seat in the US Senate and faced sharp criticism from Donald Trump, who claimed that Brnovich was not doing enough to prosecute alleged election fraud. Brnovich wanted Trump’s endorsement, but he did not receive it.
When the current Attorney General of Arizona, Kris Mayes, took office, she revealed that Brnovich had withheld the findings of his investigators. Mayes stated that the documents show the 2020 election was “conducted fairly and accurately by election officials.”
The documents she released also show that Brnovich withheld a separate memorandum that systematically debunked election conspiracy theories that had taken root on the right, including claims of dead or duplicate voters, pre-marked ballots shipped from Asia, election servers connected to the internet, and even manipulations via satellites controlled by the Italian military.
Mayes wrote on the network X that she was saddened by the news of Brnovich’s sudden death and pointed out that he dedicated many years to public service. She sent condolences to his wife Susan and their family.
Brnovich lost the Republican primary election for a seat in the US Senate in 2021. In the video announcing his candidacy, Brnovich described himself as the son of immigrants who fled communism in Yugoslavia. He stated that he used his position as Attorney General to oppose “crony capitalism” and the overstepping of government authority, while simultaneously advocating for religious freedoms, border security, and election integrity.
In April, Trump nominated Brnovich to be the US ambassador to Serbia, but in October, he withdrew that nomination.
Mark Brnovich once spoke for Serbian Times about the reasons why his nomination for ambassador to Serbia was withdrawn.
“I want to thank the president for the nomination, but as the process dragged on, it became clear that the ‘Deep State’ bureaucracies do not want someone with my political, ethical, and religious background serving in Serbia. Ultimately, I believe that staying close to family and friends in Arizona and finding opportunities to play a larger role on the domestic political scene is the best path at this moment,” Brnovich told our portal.
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Source: Nova.rs; Photo: USA Today Network / Thomas Hawthorne