Secretary of State Steve Simon will not carry out a "full forensic audit" of the 2020 election sought by a group of activists in Crow Wing County.
The county's board passed a resolution asking for the audit after months of pressure from residents who cited discredited claims of voter fraud. In a letter last week, Simon responded that there was "no legitimate reason to second-guess the integrity of the 2020 election in Crow Wing County."
"The county has already done its duty with great skill, and the system worked as it was designed — and as the public has every right to expect," wrote Simon, who added that post-election reviews found no irregularities "and no cause to suspect misconduct" in the county in 2020.
He added that his office would "not engage in a vague and impossibly broad search for unspecified misconduct."
Ben Davis, a pastor at the Remnant Ministry Center in Brainerd who helped lead the campaign, declined to comment on Simon's letter. Election activists again appeared at the Jan. 25 Crow Wing County Board meeting to press for more action.
In his letter, Simon warned of "serious challenges" posed by disinformation.
"It's all so poisonous, and it needs to stop," he wrote. "I believe it will stop – if enough of us stand up to it."
