This was her chance to prove that her election was stolen. She could have showed up in court and won this suit. All she had to do was present evidence. Now she's looking at a defamation judgement against her, and it could be huge. The person who sued her is a conservative Republican who would no longer put up with her lies and her slander against him.
And she backed right down.
How do you MAGA cultists feel about being lied to?
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer last year sued Lake – who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor in 2022 – arguing that her repeated false claims of election malfeasance made him and his family the targets of relentless threats.
Richer and Lake are both Republicans, and his lawsuit marked an aggressive step by Richer to confront Lake’s election claims – which have been rejected by the courts.
Lawyers defending Lake, her gubernatorial campaign and an aligned nonprofit group on Tuesday asked a judge to schedule a hearing to determine what, if any, damages are owed to Richer.
In a statement, Richer said Lake and her allies had capitulated.
“After months of doubling down and defending their lies across Arizona, in the media, and on social media, when push came to shove, the Defendants decided to completely back down and concede that their lies were just that: lies,” he said.
“Because of their actions, my family and I have faced an endless barrage of threats — including calls for our execution — I have lost close personal relationships, and I have had my reputation irreparably damaged,” he added. “I have said from the beginning that no one is above the rule of law and today further validates that belief.”
And she backed right down.
How do you MAGA cultists feel about being lied to?
Kari Lake declines to defend her statements in a defamation case
Kari Lake, a Republican Senate candidate from Arizona who has advanced election conspiracy theories, is asking a judge to decide whether she must pay damages to a top county election official who sued her for defamation – after opting not to defend her statements in the case.Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer last year sued Lake – who ran unsuccessfully for Arizona governor in 2022 – arguing that her repeated false claims of election malfeasance made him and his family the targets of relentless threats.
Richer and Lake are both Republicans, and his lawsuit marked an aggressive step by Richer to confront Lake’s election claims – which have been rejected by the courts.
Lawyers defending Lake, her gubernatorial campaign and an aligned nonprofit group on Tuesday asked a judge to schedule a hearing to determine what, if any, damages are owed to Richer.
In a statement, Richer said Lake and her allies had capitulated.
“After months of doubling down and defending their lies across Arizona, in the media, and on social media, when push came to shove, the Defendants decided to completely back down and concede that their lies were just that: lies,” he said.
“Because of their actions, my family and I have faced an endless barrage of threats — including calls for our execution — I have lost close personal relationships, and I have had my reputation irreparably damaged,” he added. “I have said from the beginning that no one is above the rule of law and today further validates that belief.”
