Stephen Richer
Role at the time: Former Maricopa County recorder
Response to this claim
The premature Maricopa County ballot mailing was not an error and reflected dishonest conduct.
“it was a mistake with no real harm attached to it ... It doesn't seem like (Trump) even really understood what was going on with the situation.”
The report was first published October 4 and updated October 5, although the URL contains October 6. It quotes Ellington's denial and Richer's explanation of the error.
Why we used this label
The reference point is the claim that the early ballot mailing was deliberate misconduct. Richer calls it "a mistake with no real harm attached to it" and says Trump did not seem to understand the situation, which disputes Trump's account. The closest competing label, Minimized, loses because the mistake description and the criticism of Trump's understanding carry the position, and the point about harm is secondary.