Defamation Lawsuit Against Kari Lake for Election Official Allegations Allowed to Move Forward, Says Judge

“This is about taking away our First Amendment rights and interfering in the US Senate race,” Kari Lake said.

In Maricopa County, a judge has decided to allow the defamation lawsuit to move forward against Kari Lake, who, having previously run as an Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate, is currently campaigning for a Senate seat. The judge emphasized that Lake’s defense failed to present sufficient evidence to warrant the immediate dismissal of the case, in accordance with Arizona law.

“The court is satisfied that the disputed statements – if indeed they are ‘provable’ as false or defamatory – would be undeserving of the protections associated with our First Amendment principles,” he wrote.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer has filed a lawsuit against Kari Lake, alleging false accusations by her and her supporters. They claimed he intentionally printed incorrect ballots and inserted 300,000 illegal votes in the county’s 2022 election. Post the recent ruling, Lake took to X (formerly Twitter), asserting, “This is about taking away our First Amendment rights and interfering in the US Senate race. This case should have been tossed out of court.”

Richer disclosed that he and his family received death threats following Lake’s allegations, prompting significant expenditure on enhanced home security measures. He stressed the importance of public service not translating into threats, harassment, or defamation, emphasizing that everyone should be held accountable under the law.

“Working as a public servant should not lead to death threats, harassment or defamation,” Richer also said. “No one is above the rule of law in this country.”

Democrat Katie Hobbs secured victory in the 2022 gubernatorial election with a substantial margin of over 17,000 votes. Current polls suggest that Kari Lake is in the lead for the GOP Senate primary in Arizona.