State lawmakers are entitled to shield records from public disclosure if they deal in any way with legislative business, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.

Cyber Ninjas’ attorney is seeking to drop out of two audit-related public records lawsuits, claiming his client stopped paying the bills. 

The Court of Appeals has rejected the latest bid by Cyber Ninjas to keep secret the records it has related to the audit of the 2020 election. 

A superior court judge on Tuesday left open the possibility of finding the Arizona Senate in contempt of court in the coming weeks.  

The attorney for the Senate is asking a judge to delay any move to force lawmakers to immediately surrender some audit documents. 

A judge on Thursday said he's not ready to cite the Arizona Senate and Karen Fann, its president, for contempt of court.

The Arizona Senate has no legal excuse to refuse to publicly produce the records of the firm it hired to audit the 2020 election returns.

An attorney for American Oversight charged on September 1 that the Senate has not complied with a court order to surrender all the documents it has dealing with the audit of the 2020 election.

The Arizona Senate must turn over audit records requested by watchdog group American Oversight, including those in the possession of Cyber Ninjas, the Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.

The Arizona Senate has an Aug. 31 deadline to produce the rest of requested internal public records related to its election audit, a superior court judge ordered Wednesday.