BREAKING: Maricopa County Attorney Tells Judge GOP Official Shelby Busch Gave False Testimony About Election Worker Threats This Month (NEWS ANALYSIS)

This weekend, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer released a video of Republican official Shelby Busch telling an audience that she would "lynch" Richer if he walked into the room. The video has received national attention, and Busch now claims that the comments she made in March were "a joke".

The video is now being brought to a Maricopa County Superior Court Judge's attention as evidence that Busch gave "false" testimony earlier this month in a case she brought against the County for access to lists of election workers from past elections. That Motion is published at the bottom of this article.

Busch is First Vice Chair of the Maricopa County Republican Committee, and is the Arizona GOP's Delegation Chair to next month's Republican National Convention. 

Chandler attorney and Arizona's Law stalwart Tom Ryan posted the following thread on X/Twitter this evening:

Dear 'Zona Litigation Disaster Tourists, tonight I have some interesting news to share with you. Many of you have been following the disgraceful comments by @ShelbyBusch7 where she said she would lynch County Recorder Stephen Lynch if she could. 1/ 

What @shelbybusch7 did was engage in what is known as Stochastic Terrorism*. Shelby claims she was joking, but her passive/aggressive behavior is Stochastic Terrorism. 2/ *

How Stochastic Terrorism Uses Disgust to Incite Violence

@ShelbyBusch7 Stochastic Terrorism is used to dehumanize and incite others to violence against individuals or a class of individuals. In this case, Ms. Busch's (phony) claim of being a good Christian woman referring to Stephen Richer, a known Jew, is that type of terrorism. 3/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 So if Stochastic Terrorism and antisemitism were not enough for you to be disgusted by this woman, I give you one other to ponder. You see, Ms. Busch is a litigant in a case entitled "We The People Alliance Arizona v. Stephen Richer." Maricopa County Cause No. CV2022-053499. 4/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 Ms. Busch and her so-called alliance is represented by none other than Kari Lake's sanctioned (and soon to be suspended) attorney, Bryan Blehm. The lawsuit they cooked up was to compel Richer's office to cough up names & identities of County Elections employees. 4/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 (Grr! Last one should have been "5/", so this one will be "6/". Sorry) Thank goodness that after County employees have received so many death threats due to the type of Stochastic Terrorism employed by people like Ms. Busch, the County sought to protect their identity. 6/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 I represented one such high-level employee who had horrendous death threats made against her, caused her to leave her employment & flee her home. These threats are real, they are scary, & they have their desired affect on these public servants. 7/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 On June 12, 2024, there was an evidentiary hearing on We The People's demand for County Employees' identities. Judge Scott Blaney heard the case & took the matter under advisement. But before the close of evidence: SHELBY BUSCH TOOK THE STAND & SWORE AN OATH TO TELL THE TRUTH. 8/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 Shelby Busch was asked, UNDER OATH, if she was aware of any threats made against Maricopa County Elections workers. I watched the trial online. Ms. Busch testified that she had seen NO EVIDENCE OF ANY SUCH THREATS made against County Elections Workers. 9/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 On June 12, 2024, when Shelby Busch answered the question about her knowledge of threats made against Maricopa County Elections Workers she HID THE FACT that on MARCH 20, 2024 after claiming unity with only Christians she HERSELF said she would like to lynch Stephen Richer. 10/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 Ms. Busch's testimony on June 12, 2024, after swearing upon her oath, was false. She should be investigated for false swearing & perjury. And before any MAGA heads "poo poo" this, her false swearing deprived County Counsel of the right to impeach her testimony! 11/ 

@ShelbyBusch7 The problem is until June 24, 2024, when the Arizona Republic 1st reported on Ms. Busch's disgusting, antisemitic threats against Mr. Richer, her false testimony was hidden from Maricopa County Counsel. 12/

.'I would lynch him': Maricopa County Republican party vice chair threatens recorder

In the video, Shelby Bush contrasts Stephen Richer, who is Jewish, against someone she says is a "good Christian man that believes what we believe."

@ShelbyBusch7 Earlier today, I called on @Rachel1Mitchell to condemn the stochastic terrorism and antisemitism of @ShelbyBusch7 I should have waited. Tonight Rachel Mitchell's office through the phenomenal attorneys in the Civil Service Division filed their Motion to Reopen Evidence. 13/ 

I hope you're following along with @arizonaslaw for a fuller expose of the County's blockbuster filing. So I leave you with these thoughts: (1) I believe Ms. Busch should be referred for investigation for false swearing, & if not at least sanctions; 14/ 

@arizonaslaw (2) we need more AZ GOP elected leadership to have the courage to PUBLICLY condemn this kind of outrageous conduct; (3) the Maricopa County GOP leadership should expel Ms. Busch from any leadership position; & (4) we need more police enforcement to protect election workers. END 

The County's Motion is not asking Judge Blaney to refer Busch for perjury charges, although it states that the testimony was "false". Rather, the County asks the Judge to consider Busch's credibility in light of the newly-surfaced video. (Richer noted earlier that he only received the video this past weekend.)

Judge Blaney has Busch's/We the People's claim under advisement.

 

This article was reported by AZ Law founder Paul Weich. 

"AZ Law" includes articles, commentaries and updates about opinions from the Arizona Supreme Court, U.S. Supreme Court, as well as trial and appellate courts, etc. AZ Law is founded by Phoenix attorney Paul Weich, and joins Arizona's Politics on the internet. 

AZ Law airs on non-profit Sun Sounds of Arizona, a statewide reading service that provides audio access to printed material for people who cannot hold or read print material due to a disability. If you know someone who could benefit from this 24/7 service, please let them know about member-supported Sun Sounds. And, YOU can donate or listen here. 

Previous episodes of AZ Law can be streamed or downloaded here, or wherever you get your podcasts.