Election denier Kari Lake promised to take her gubernatorial defeat lawsuit to the Arizona‘s supreme court after it was tossed for the second time on Thursday – less than two months after it was rejected by a Maricopa County judge.
The ruling from the Arizona Court of Appeals – the second and penultimate tier in the state’s court system – came as the latest defeat for Lake, who in December lost the race to be Arizona’s next governor by about 17,000 votes.
Immediately chalking up the loss to voter fraud, the 53-year-old former Phoenix journalist filed a suit alleging that problems with printers and election day protocol cost her a victory over Democrat Katie Hobbs.
Her case hinged on the belief that election officials in Maricopa County – which served as the epicenter of the voter conspiracy, according to Lake – carried out the misdeeds at the behest of Hobbs and the local government.
The case was rejected by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson the day before Christmas, leading Lake to file an appeal, which was rejected due to lack of evidence on Thursday.
Kari Lake promised to take her gubernatorial defeat lawsuit to the Arizona’s supreme court after it was tossed for the second time on Thursday, making the assertion in the form of a tweet moments after the suit – which alleged voter fraud cost her a win in December – was rejected
‘We are NOT finished,’ Lake wrote in a tweet Thursday night that came moments after the Court of Appeals – funded by Arizona taxpayers – said it was rejecting the suit, citing that Lake’s team failed to present any evidence that cast doubt on the previous ruling
In trademark fashion, Lake – who has remained adamant that the 2020 Presidential Election was stolen as well – is taking her third consecutive loss in her stride, and took to social media to tell her followers that she is far from finished in challenging Hobbs’ win.
‘We are NOT finished,’ Lake wrote in a tweet Thursday night that came moments after the Court of Appeals – funded by Arizona taxpayers – said it was rejecting the suit, citing that Lake’s team failed to present any evidence that cast doubt on Thompson’s ruling.
Lake would go on to confirm the meaning of the cryptic declaration, by referencing her earlier assertions that she would pursue her case all the way up to Arizona’s highest court, if necessary.
‘I told you we would take this case all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court, and that’s exactly what we are going to do,’ Lake told her more than 931,400 followers, ending the tweet with the signoff ‘Buckle up America,’ for good measure.
The case was rejected by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson the day before Christmas, leading Lake to file an appeal. At the time, the jurist said he was tossing the case due to a ‘lack of evidence’ – a ruling Court of Appeal officials said they agreed with
Katie Hobbs, the winner of last month’s gubernation election, had criticized the suit – which alleged officials conspired to gift her the election – ‘baseless’ and a waste of taxpayer money
The post also included a link to her so-called ‘Save Arizona Fund,’ a fundraiser she started to help foot legal bills in her pursuit to provide proof of a botched election. It is not clear how much cash the campaign has raised thus far.
Earlier in the day, officials in the Arizona Court of Appeals explained their reasoning behind their rejection of of Lake’s suit – which contended machines tabulating votes on election day ‘intentionally’ malfunctioned – without bringing the case to trial.
‘Her request for relief fails because the evidence presented to the superior court ultimately supports the court’s conclusion that voters were able to cast their ballots, that votes were counted correctly, and that no other basis justifies setting aside the election results,’ the state’s second highest court explained.
The lawsuit, filed on December 19, had alleged that officials in Maricopa County – where Lake spent several years as a news anchor on Phoenix Fox affiliate Fox 10 – interfered with the machines, thus violating both federal and state law. It has now been tossed twice
‘Lake’s arguments highlight Election Day difficulties, but her request for relief fails,’ the opinion further stated, leaving Lake, who has refused to concede despite the lack of evidence, with limited options for further recourse.
Lake, in the end has two options: File another appeal on the state level and hope the court will come to a different conclusion as the previous two, or cut her losses and pursue a new path in politics.
The lawsuit, filed on December 19, alleged that officials in Maricopa County – where Lake spent several years as a news anchor on Phoenix Fox affiliate Fox 10 – interfered with the machines, thus violating both federal and state law.
Calling the election ‘botched’ and a ‘sham,’ Lake sat in Maripoca’s Superior Court for the two days of proceedings – but did not testify – before the case was tossed.
Three months later, Lake and her legal team have failed to provide any meaningful evidence that supports her claims the machines and printer malfunctions directly led to her losing votes.
Officially, Lake lost to Hobbs, who served as Arizona’s 21st secretary of state before assuming the seat of governor last month, by more than 17,000 votes.
Hobbs – who has since assumed her post as the state’s governor – called the suit ‘baseless’ in a post to Twitter, calling it the ‘latest desperate attempt to undermine our democracy and throw out the will of the voters’
The suit named both Maricopa County and Hobbs as defendants, spurring the now-governor to slam the suit ‘baseless’ in a post of her own on Twitter,
She added in a follow up post, when jurists were still hearing Lake’s argument: ‘The voters made it clear that they want their leaders to work together to solve problems. Arizonans have entrusted me to do that and I’m ready to get to work as Arizona’s next Governor.
The secretary of state’s office also slammed the suit as a ‘sham,’ criticizing Lake as a media personality looking for her 15-second of fame.
Adrian Fontes’s administration wrote in the scathing statement: ‘Kari Lake needs attention like a fish needs water.’
Other detractors- iuncluding Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman had argued the political newcomer lacks proof to stand up even the most tame of her allegations.
‘Not only do plaintiff’s allegations fail to support finding that she is entitled to be awarded enough votes to change the outcome of the election, but also, they do not show even a single illegal vote, any erroneous count of votes, or that the Defendant election officials engaged in any misconduct,’ lawyers with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office wrote of the suit in December.
On Thursday, Hickman was one of many to celebrate the Arizona Court of Appeals’ rejection of Lake’s claims, which included that his county conspired to gift the election to Hobbs.
‘As we have said, every valid vote was counted in a midterm election that saw near-record turnout,’ Hickman said in a statement Thursday, adding: ‘It’s way past time to move on.’
Lake now has the opportunity to file an appeal, though it could take months for the court to hear her argument. The politician will have no further recourse if that bid is also denied.