PHOENIX (AP) — Mark Brnovich, Arizona’s top law enforcement officer as the state became the epicenter of efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies to find proof that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud, has died. He was 59 years old.
Brnovich died after suffering a heart attack Monday, Katie Conner, a family representative, said Tuesday.
Brnovich’s colleagues and friends praised him for his work in public service that included stints as a judge, prosecutor, lawyer and the director of the Arizona Game Department. Former Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Brnovich’s passion for the law, justice and victims were the hallmarks of his career.
“For those of us blessed to call him a friend, his humor, positivity and happy warrior spirit were infectious. May he rest in peace,” said Ducey on the X social platform.
Brnovich, a Republican, was in his second term as attorney general in Arizona when his office investigated the 2020 election. Arizona was among the states that Joe Biden won that year to deny Trump’s re-election to the presidency.
Brnovich issued an interim report in April 2022 that outlined his concerns about some electoral procedures but provided no evidence of key issues despite six months of investigation.
At the time, Brnovich was seeking the Republican nomination for a seat in the United States Senate and facing harsh criticism from Trump, who claimed he was not doing enough to prosecute election fraud. Brnovich wanted an endorsement from Trump but didn’t get it.
When current Attorney General Kris Mayes took office, she revealed that Brnovich suppressed findings from his investigators. Mayes said the records showed the 2020 election “was conducted fairly and accurately by election officials.”
The released documents also showed that Brnovich kept a separate memo that systematically refuted election conspiracies that took root on the right, including allegations of dead or duplicate voters, pre-marked ballots flown in from Asia, election servers connected to the internet and even manipulation from satellites controlled by the Italian military.
Mayes posted on X that she was saddened to hear of Brnovich’s sudden death and said he had dedicated many years to public service. She offered her condolences to his wife Susan and their family.
Brnovich lost the 2021 Republican primary for the United States Senate. In a video that launched his campaign, Brnovich described himself as the son of immigrants who fled communism in Yugoslavia. He said he used his position as attorney general to take on “crony capitalists” and government overreach, while promoting religious freedom, border security and election integrity.
In April, Trump nominated Brnovich to be ambassador to Serbia but withdrew his nomination in October.
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McAvoy reported from Honolulu.