Investigators with the attorney general's office concluded that nearly all findings of a controversial review of the 2020 election in Maricopa County commissioned by the state Senate were unfounded, but former AG Mark Brnovich withheld the information and left office without releasing it.

• Now, his successor has revealed the details, The Washington Post first reported.

Context: The documents aren't an exhaustive record of Brnovich’s investigation, but they provide insight into the probe that had previously been kept secret.

Driving the news: Democratic AG Kris Mayes yesterday released several reports and summaries drafted by her GOP predecessor outlining the investigation's findings into the "audit," as the Senate's review was often dubbed.

• The audit, led by Florida-based cybersecurity company Cyber Ninjas, made various allegations of improprieties and wrongdoing in September 2021.
• Maricopa County refuted those findings, and Cyber Ninjas has been unwilling to respond to the criticism.

Why it matters: The records show Brnovich could have refuted allegations that undermined trust in the election process.

• The audit became a cause célèbre for election deniers and its findings, though widely debunked, fueled conspiracy theories that the 2020 election had been stolen from former President Trump.

The big picture: Cyber Ninjas and others who made allegations about the election provided "no evidence of election fraud, manipulation or the election process, or any instances of organized/coordinated fraud," a September memo from Brnovich's Special Investigations Section stated.

• "The information that was provided was speculative in many instances and when investigated by our agents and support staff, was found to be inaccurate," per the summary.

What they're saying: Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, who was the Maricopa County recorder during the 2020 election, said election workers who received threats due to the unfounded fraud allegations deserve an apology.

• The people of Arizona had a right to know this information before the 2022 election and county officials had a right to know they'd been cleared of wrongdoing, Mayes told the Post.

The other side: Brnovich refused to answer questions from Axios Phoenix about why he didn't release the investigation's findings or why he contradicted his investigators in the interim report.

• Karen Fann, then the Republican president of the state Senate, wouldn't comment on the AG's findings, standing by allegations in Brnovich's interim report and repeating debunked claims that the county illegally deleted data.

The average home price in metro Phoenix remained flat between December and January after about six months of declines, Axios' Brianna Crane reports, citing Redfin data.

Why it matters: Any relief from the sky-high home prices we saw a year ago is welcome, especially as mortgage rates creep up.

By the numbers:

• Phoenix's median home sales price was $425,000 in January, down almost 5% from the same time last year.
• Inventory was up 76% from last year.
• Homes sat on the market for a median of 73 days in January, up 40% from last year.

Zoom out: Nationally, median home sales prices crept up 1.3% from one year ago and sales fell for the 12th month in a row, according to the latest from the National Association of Realtors.

• The national median home sales price in January was $359,000.
• Sales are down 36.9% from the previous year.
• As demand falls, homes sit on the market a little longer, which gives buyers a little more room to negotiate.

What's next: Spring, typically marked by high demand, more competition and higher home prices, is right around the corner.

• If spring 2023 follows typical trends, we should expect home prices to rise again in the near future.
• Yes, but: Experts predict 2023 will see a far less frantic housing market than in 2022.

If you like your tacos with a lucha libre theme, you're in luck: Maskadores Taco Shop's expansion across the Valley will continue with three new restaurants this year.

What's happening: The local chain is setting up shop in Mesa on east University Drive, expected by the end of this month, and another in December at 67th Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road, What Now Phoenix reported earlier this month.

• Xolo, a sit-down upscale sister restaurant, opened last weekend at Seventh Street and Thunderbird Road.

Zoom out: Maskadores has 21 locations across the Valley.

Catch up quick: The taco chain started 12 years ago in Tempe.

• "There are still a lot of people here in the valley who aren't familiar with our food and our authentic ingredients," company president Caleb Zarraga told What Now Phoenix. "We're just happy that we've been so successful over these 12 years, and we want to share it with as many people as we can."

💭 Jeremy's thought bubble: Maskadores opened a location on Thomas Road near Third Avenue last year, so I figured I'd give the new neighborhood eatery a try.

• I went with the birria and queso tacos and was quite impressed.

🚑 Phoenix is struggling to hire trained case workers for its Community Assistance Program, which aims to help unhoused people experiencing mental health and substance abuse problems. (KJZZ)

🤑 The state of Arizona is expected to collect more hotel tax revenue this year than in any previous year as tourism bounces back after the pandemic and operators charge more for hotel rooms. (Phoenix Business Journal)

💸 A Mega Millions lottery ticket sold at a south Phoenix Fry's won $2 million Tuesday night. No one won the jackpot, which is now up to $126 million for tomorrow night's drawing. (AZcentral)

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Phoenix made a short list of cities that Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber rattled off yesterday for potential expansions.