Timeline

The MCRC’s ruling is not on the removal of a Chairman, but rather remedy for a timely and lawful election challenge of the LD3 body.

• On December 1^st, 2022, LD3 held an election of its officers and State Committeeman.
• Members of the body filed an immediate challenge at the election location regarding illegitimate proxy usage.
• On December 4^th, 2022, the new LD3 Executive Board addressed the challenge and voted unanimously to ask the MCRC to canvass the proxies and hold a hand recount of the ballots.
• On December 5^th, 2022, MCRC Chairman Niland responded to the challenge and indicated that the MCRC would not facilitate this audit for LD3, and they must perform their own audit.
• On December 6^th, 2022, a timely election challenge was filed with MCRC Chairman Niland as required by the Maricopa County Bylaws Section 4, Paragraph F. Timely Challenge to the County Chairman.
• On December 9^th, 2022, the MCRC voted to create a challenge committee and perform a thorough audit of the election. They were instructed to generate a report and issue the findings to the MCRC board in a week.
• On December 14^th, 2022, the Challenge Committee presented its findings to the MCRC Board, and the disclosed results were:
• The LD3 election rules were violated during the Organizational meeting held on December 1, 2022, and the MCRC recommends a Special Meeting be called for the body to re-vote, and in consistency with the recommendation and subsequent re-vote resulting from the LD11 election challenge and investigation (both officers and state committeemen).
• Chairman Niland made a recommendation in her written ruling to LD3 that the election be held before January 4, 2023.
• On December 17^th, 2022, the LD3 Executive Board had a special call meeting to address the ruling of the MCRC and voted 3 to 2 in favor of holding the new election on December 28^th, 2022.
• On December 18^th, 2022, the call letters were issued to the body for the December 28^th, 2022 election.
• On December 19^th, 2022, Chairman Niland issued an email to the LD3 Executive Board stating that a December 28^th, 2022 election would be unfair due to the holidays and that the MCRC would not allow an election until after the holidays. (Even though, LD11 held their re-election on December 27^th, 2022 without interference from the MCRC.)
• On December 20^th, 2022, LD3 Candace Czarny, Michal Joyner, Nancy Ordowski and others began issuing emails, posting statements and telling the body to ignore the unsanctioned and illegitimate election. Instructing PCs to NOT show up for the election.
• Ultimately, the LD3 Executive Board voted to postpone the election due to the chaos and confusion and demands from MCRC Chairman Niland to postpone the date.
• However, this remedy was never executed and a new MCRC Executive Board was elected January 14, 2023.  LD3 was never given the remedy they deserved; the very remedy ordered by the former MCRC Executive Board.
• The current MCRC Executive Board was left to execute the rulings of the previous MCRC Administration. 
• On February 9^th, 2023, Chairman Berland issued a letter to the LD3 Executive Board and requested access to the ballots and proxies for an election audit so that the MCRC could determine if the call for a new election by the previous administration was still warranted. That letter was hand delivered to the LD3 Board by MCRC 1^st Vice-Chairman Busch.
• That request was met with great hostility by Candace Czarny and there was ultimately a refusal to allow the audit to proceed.
• This action left the MCRC with only one option:
• Allow the MCRC EGC to vote to uphold the ruling of Chairman Niland’s administration, that is, vacate the December 1^st, 2022 results, and grant LD3 a new election based on findings of election procedure violations and allegations of fraud as specified in the timely election challenge.
• On March 1^st, 2023, Chairman Berland and 1^st Vice Chairman Busch sought the opinion and consultation of MCRC legal counsel.
• On March 7^th, 2023, the opinion of MCRC legal counsel was reported to the Maricopa County Governing Board and a motion was made to grant LD3 relief and have the MCRC administer a new election.
• This vote passed 19 to 7 (Chair Berland, 1^st Vice Chair Busch and MAL Neglia abstained).
• The MCRC stands firm with its decision to provide relief to the LD3 body and grant them a new election on March 30^th, 2023 based on a lawful and timely challenge as authorized by the previous MCRC board and per the bylaws.
• On March 30, 2023, over 195 LD3 PCs credentialed, met quorum, voted to hold a new election, and elected Bob Gomez and his board.
• The Honorable Judge Frank W. Moskowitz ruled in case CV 2023-004799 that “It does not preclude political parties from holding other LD meetings and elections of officers, which may be necessary due to election contests, vacancies, or removals.” and “Here, the March election did not violate § 16-823.” and “IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED denying Plaintiff’s (Candace Czarny’s) claim for injunctive relief.”