TL/DR –
Kari Lake, an election denier running for Senate in Arizona, will not contest her liability in a defamation suit filed by Stephen Richer, a Republican election official. Richer accused Lake of falsely blaming him for her electoral defeat for the governor’s race. While not disputing her culpability, Lake is contesting the damages and has requested a jury for the default judgment hearing.
Kari Lake, Senate Candidate, Won’t Contest Defamation Suit Liability
Kari Lake, an Arizona Senate candidate and prominent election denier, will not contest her liability in a defamation suit filed by Stephen Richer, a Republican election official from Maricopa County.
Richer, who oversaw the county’s 2022 election, accused Lake of defamation in June, alleging she falsely blamed him for her electoral defeat in the gubernatorial race won by Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Lake’s legal team submitted a default judgment motion on Tuesday, indicating her decision to not challenge her culpability, but to dispute the damages.
Lake, a staunch Trump ally, persistently claims falsely she won her 2022 gubernatorial bid, targeting Richer in the process. Her allegations led to threats of violence against Richer and his family, according to Richer’s lawsuit.
The suit also highlights Lake’s false claims that Richer tampered with ballots to trigger tabulation machine malfunctions on Election Day. However, it was later discovered that changes in ballot paper were the root cause of the issue.
Lake criticized Richer’s lawsuit in a video statement, saying her participation would “legitimize this perversion of our legal system and allow bad actors to interfere in our upcoming election.”
In response, Richer stated Lake’s decision meant “she has conceded she has no evidence, she has surrendered first amendment claims, and she has stopped fighting.”
Trump ally Rudy Giuliani was ordered to pay $148 million last year in a defamation case over false claims about two former election workers in Georgia.
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