Arizona Supreme Court slams Kari Lake lawyers with $2000 sanction for election lies

05 May 2023

Far-right MAGA Republican and conspiracy theorist Kari Lake has been one of Arizona's top election denialists. Lake has not only promoted the false and repeatedly debunked claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from former President Donald Trump in her state — she has also claimed that Arizona's 2022 gubernatorial election was stolen from her. Four months after Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs was sworn into office, Lake has yet to concede.

Conservative Republican ex-Gov. Doug Ducey, in contrast, congratulated Hobbs after her victory and stressed that he would do as much as he could to make the transition from his administration to hers as smooth as possible.

Lake unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit challenging Hobbs' win. And on Thursday, May 4, the Arizona Supreme Court gave her attorneys a $2000 sanction.

The Associated Press reports, "The state's highest court said Lake's attorney made 'false factual statements' that more than 35,000 ballots had been improperly added to the total ballot count, imposing 10 days to submit payment. The (Arizona Supreme) Court, however, refused to order Lake to pay attorney fees to cover the costs of defending Hobbs and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, also a Democrat, in Lake's appeal."

Attorneys for Hobbs and Fontes, according to AP, "told the Court that Lake and her lawyers misrepresented evidence and were hurting the elections process by continuing to push baseless claims of election fraud."

Countless Democrats and non-MAGA conservatives, including former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyoming) and Meghan McCain, have slammed Lake as an irresponsible conspiracy theorist who never backs up her outlandish claims. After Lake's loss to Hobbs, GOP activist McCain (daughter of the late Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican), trolled Lake on Twitter, posting, "Beautiful morning to all of you."

Nonetheless, Lake remains popular among MAGA Republicans and is reportedly considering a U.S. Senate run in 2024. And she has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Trump if he wins the GOP presidential nomination next year.

If Lake were to enter Arizona's 2024 U.S. Senate race in 2024 and win the nomination, she would possibly be up against liberal Rep. Ruben Gallego (who is seeking the Democratic nomination) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a centrist ex-Democrat turned independent who has not said whether or not she plans to seek reelection.

Read the Associated Press' full reportat this link.

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