Tuscon.com:

Attorney General Mark Brnovich is abusing his powers in threats to prosecute and possibly imprison Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, an attorney for her told a judge on Wednesday.

Roopali Desai said the decision by Hobbs to take down part of the E-Qual system where candidates can get online signatures for their nomination petitions is necessary for both her office and counties to deal with the new changes in legislative and congressional districts. That, she told Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Joan Sinclair, ensures that only signatures from people eligible to sign each candidate’s petitions are counted.

“Otherwise she will be in violation of the statute,’’ Desai said.

But what’s happened, she told the judge, is that Brnovich is now threatening her with criminal prosecution over her decision to take down the system on March 11 for the necessary updates.

“If Attorney General Brnovich wishes to operate and administer elections, perhaps instead of running for the U.S. Senate he should run to be a county recorder,’’ Desai said, pointing out his bid to be the Republican nominee to take on incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly. “But he is not.’’

Assistant Attorney General Michael Catlett argued that his boss is doing what he is supposed to do: ensuring that state officials like Hobbs follow state law. He said the Legislature mandated that Hobbs make the E-Qual system available for the entire time signatures can be gathered, a period that runs through April 4.