Kari Lake seeks dismissal of lawsuit by Maricopa County official.
Kari Lake Files Motion to Dismiss Maricopa County Official’s Suit Against Her
Kari Lake, the 2022 Arizona Republican nominee for governor, has taken action to dismiss Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s defamation lawsuit against her. This move comes as Lake fights back against allegations made by Richer in June, accusing her of falsely claiming that he intentionally sabotaged the county’s election.
During the November election in Maricopa County, printers malfunctioned at nearly 60 percent of polling locations, causing tabulators to be unable to read ballots. This led to long lines and chaos, with Republicans arguing that they were disproportionately affected. However, in December, a trial judge upheld Democrat Katie Hobbs’ win, stating that there was no evidence of intentional sabotage by the county.
While the ruling was mostly upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court, one issue regarding signature verification laws was remanded back to the trial court. Lake has appealed the ruling, continuing to challenge the election results.
In response to Richer’s lawsuit, Lake’s motion to dismiss emphasizes the importance of free speech in matters of public concern. Her attorney, Jen Wright, asserts that Richer’s lawsuit is an abuse of the legal system and should be dismissed.
Richer claimed that he and his family have faced threats of violence and had their lives turned upside down as a result of Lake’s false statements about the election. However, Lake argues that as an elected official, Richer should be subject to criticism and that his attempt to silence her is a dangerous precedent.
Today, my legal team, joined by the @ASULawFAC, has filed to dismiss @Stephen_Richer‘s assault on the First Amendment.
READ my full statement pic.twitter.com/5Xd7HkVtK4
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) August 22, 2023
The First Amendment Clinic of Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law has also joined Lake’s motion to dismiss Richer’s lawsuit, arguing that it would suppress free speech.
Source: The Western Journal
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