According to a new lawsuit filed in Maricopa County, Arizona state Representative Austin Smith has announced that he will not be running for re-election. The lawsuit alleges that he falsified signatures and there have been growing demands for him to step down immediately.

On Tuesday, Smith made an early announcement that he would be withdrawing from the race due to allegations of election fraud in a lawsuit. He stated that his main reason for not running for re-election was to safeguard his family. He also mentioned that in the future, if he were to run for public office again, he would use online signatures to prevent the spread of fabricated stories.

The lawsuit alleges that Smith’s petition sheets display a consistent handwriting pattern throughout multiple pages and that a significant number of signatures bear a strong resemblance to Smith’s signature.

The complaint filed in the Maricopa County Superior Courts contains copies of Smith’s signature pages.

In the past, Smith has raised concerns about the reliability and safety of the signature authentication system used in Arizona’s elections.

According to Smith’s lengthy statement on X, the idea seemed absurd as Republicans who are attempting to be listed on the ballot do not collect signatures from Democrats and therefore would not have any incentive to falsify Democrat signatures. However, despite this, Smith took the matter seriously as the planned attack included the distribution of press releases and involvement on social media, indicating that it was a well-coordinated endeavor.

According to affidavits, two individuals included in the list of petition signatures have stated that they did not actually sign Smith’s petition.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has stated that they do not provide any statements regarding potential criminal investigations. However, Adrian Fontes, the state’s Secretary of State, has forwarded the matter for potential prosecution.

In the meantime, Stephen Richer, a Republican and the Maricopa County Recorder, has stated that he will provide a free report to determine the authenticity of the signatures.

According to a post by Stephen Richer, if the signatures are found to be legitimate, a report will be issued stating so. This report can then be used by the defendant as evidence. The post also mentions that no costs will be incurred.