Katie Hobbs barred reporters from being in attendance to cover her inauguration as governor of Arizona on Monday.
The Democrat&#8217;s team allowed only a single photographer from the Associated Press into the room at the state Capitol while directing others to instead watch the event via live steam, <a href="https://twitter.com/sbarchenger/status/1609958799045193728" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to local reporter Stacey Barchenger</a>. Media did set up outside of the event.
&#8220;Arizona&#8217;s 24th governor, Katie Hobbs, assumed power at 10 a.m. on Monday and in her first official act, she decided to take the public’s business private. Not a great start,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurieRoberts/status/1609984461143445505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> Laurie Roberts, a columnist for The Arizona Republic.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
New year, new leadership in Arizona, new stakeouts because reporters aren’t allowed into the 10 a.m. swearing in of incoming Gov. <a href="https://twitter.com/katiehobbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@katiehobbs</a>. Here’s <a href="https://twitter.com/Adrian_Fontes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Adrian_Fontes</a> arriving for the joint swearing in. <a href="https://t.co/ArWf8aWWfE">pic.twitter.com/ArWf8aWWfE</a>
&mdash; Stacey Barchenger (@sbarchenger) <a href="https://twitter.com/sbarchenger/status/1609958793508704268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As Roberts pointed out in a column, the restricted access deprived reporters the ability to ask questions of officials who are now leading the state. Others who took office on Monday included Democrats Adrian Fontes as secretary of state and Kris Mayes as attorney general.
Roberts also noted Monday was a state holiday and Hobbs will participate in a ceremonial inauguration Thursday. Still, she added, Hobbs &#8220;decided to take the public&#8217;s business private&#8221; in her first official act, part of a celebratory affair <a href="https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2022/12/31/hobbs-keeps-donations-secret-for-inauguration-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funded by secret donors</a>.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Katie Hobbs sworn in as Arizona governor" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/La3NrlkuhMY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
A viral clip showed Hobbs laughed while taking the oath of office, which prompted a rebuke from the camp of Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake, who like other GOP candidates running for statewide office in Arizona has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-files-appeal-in-dismissal-of-arizona-election-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gone to the courts</a> to challenge her 2022 election loss.
&#8220;This is one of the darkest moments in the history of Arizona. An illegitimate &#8216;Governor&#8217; laughing in the face of our constitution. But it&#8217;s always darkest before the dawn. We will expose this fraud for the world to see. Justice is coming. [Hobbs] won&#8217;t be laughing then,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLakeWarRoom/status/1609976520931700736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted the Kari Lake War Room</a>.
Timothy Sandefur, vice president for legal affairs at the Goldwater Institute, came to Hobbs&#8217; defense, <a href="https://twitter.com/TimothySandefur/status/1609988422902611969" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying the full video</a> shows Hobbs &#8220;was feeling emotional &amp; made a little joke to her mother (holding the Bible) about how they were both getting choked up.&#8221;

Katie Hobbs

Hobbs Forbids Reporters When Sworn In As Arizona Governor

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Arizona

Elections

Kari Lake

Politics

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake appealed a Maricopa County judge&#8217;s decision Tuesday to dismiss her lawsuit, which challenged her defeat against Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs.
Lake filed a notice of appeal in the Arizona Superior Court, which would contest two counts heard in court in a two-day trial last week and eight others initially dismissed by Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson. The dismissal of two counts was related to allegations of intentional misconduct from malfunctioning ballot printers and a failure to follow ballot chain-of-custody procedures.
The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3790121-kari-lake-appeals-judges-dismissal-of-arizona-election-challenge/">reported</a> Lake&#8217;s filing said she would &#8220;seek direct review by the Arizona Supreme Court.&#8221;
Lake told former president Donald Trump&#8217;s adviser Steve Bannon on his &#8220;War Room&#8221; show that she plans to file her appeal this week.
&#8220;I am standing up for the people of this state, the people who were done wrong on Election Day, and the millions of people who live outside of Maricopa County, whose vote was watered down by this bogus election in Maricopa County,&#8221; Lake said in an appearance on Stephen Bannon&#8217;s &#8220;War Room&#8221; podcast.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KariLake</a>: &quot;I am standing up for the people of this state. The people who were done wrong on Election Day and the millions of people who live outside of Maricopa County, whose vote was watered down by this bogus election in Maricopa County.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/sFHQCx9f9Y">pic.twitter.com/sFHQCx9f9Y</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1607887863877701632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Maricopa County, which includes the capital of Phoenix and is Arizona&#8217;s most populous county, had notable problems during the November 8 election, including printer and tabulation machine-related issues in at least 70 of the county&#8217;s 223 polling locations.
Lake claims there were tabulator breakdowns at over 59% of the voting centers within the county on Election Day.
Lake&#8217;s suit claimed thousands of Republican voters were disenfranchised, arguing &#8220;hundreds of thousands of illegal ballots infected the election in Maricopa County.&#8221;
However, the results showed that Lake lost the contest by roughly 17,000 votes despite her allegations.
Lake, a former journalist who prioritized election integrity as a candidate, filed her appeal after a judge issued a ruling earlier on Tuesday to deny sanctions against her brought by Hobbs for seeking to overturn the results of last month&#8217;s governor&#8217;s race.
Hobbs and Maricopa County filed motions on Monday for <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/sanctions-against-kari-lake-could-cost-her-nearly-700k-1769747">sanctions</a> against Lake and her attorneys, which may amount to nearly $700,000 in penalties to cover the attorneys&#8217; fees and costs, according to an estimate from the AZ Law blog.
Most of that money could go to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-could-be-on-hook-for-big-payday-benefiting-dem-lawyer-from-steele-dossier-debacle">Marc Elias</a>, who is well known as the lawyer who directed funding from Hillary Clinton&#8217;s 2016 presidential campaign and Democratic National Committee that went toward British ex-spy Christopher Steele&#8217;s now-discredited anti-Trump dossier.
The judge explained that his dismissal of Lake&#8217;s case does not equate to determining that Lake&#8217;s claims were &#8220;groundless and presented in bad faith.&#8221;
&#8220;Any legal decision must be based on the law and facts rather than subjective beliefs or partisan opinions, no matter how strongly held,&#8221; he added.
Hobbs, who is currently Arizona’s secretary of state, is set to be inaugurated as governor on January 5.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Kari Lake Campaigns Across Arizona Ahead Of Arizona Governor’s Election

Kari Lake Files Appeal In Dismissal Of Arizona Election Lawsuit

A judge denied sanctions against Arizona Republican candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> in her recently tossed 2022 election lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of last month&#8217;s governor&#8217;s race.
The ruling, issued Tuesday, is a blow to Arizona Governor-elect Katie Hobbs (D) and Maricopa County, who sought as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-could-be-on-hook-for-big-payday-benefiting-dem-lawyer-from-steele-dossier-debacle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">much as $700,000 in penalties</a> to cover the attorneys&#8217; fees and costs from Lake and her attorneys.
&#8220;There is no doubt that each side believes firmly in its position with great conviction,&#8221; <a href="https://arizonaslaw.blogspot.com/2022/12/sanctions-scorecard-keeping-track-of.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson</a>.
The judge explained that his dismissal of Lake&#8217;s case does not equate to determining that Lake&#8217;s claims were &#8220;groundless and presented in bad faith.&#8221; He added: &#8220;Any legal decision must be based on the law and facts rather than subjective beliefs or partisan opinions, no matter how strongly held.&#8221;
The judge did award Hobbs roughly $33,000 in taxable costs and affirmed Hobbs as the winner.
Lake, a former journalist who prioritized election integrity as a candidate, sued Hobbs and Maricopa County, which struggled with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-two-counties-delay-election-certification-as-ag-issues-letter-concerning-statutory-violations-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">problems</a> during the November 8 election, after the results showed that she lost the contest by roughly 17,000 votes. Hobbs is currently Arizona’s secretary of state, the top elections official in the state.
Thompson initially dismissed eight out of 10 claims in Lake&#8217;s lawsuit but allowed two claims to proceed that had to do with allegations of intentional misconduct related to malfunctioning ballot printers and a failure to follow ballot chain-of-custody procedures.
After a brief trial in Phoenix, the judge determined on Saturday that Lake and the witnesses she called to testify <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4531/638074764564181393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed to make an adequate case</a>, even after being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-scores-legal-win-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted limited ballot inspections</a>.
Lake told former Trump adviser Steve Bannon on his &#8220;War Room&#8221; show that she <a href="https://rumble.com/v22mdka-lake-hobbs-ignored-all-press-and-public-debates-because-she-knew-she-could-.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plans to file her appeal this week</a>. Hobbs&#8217; inauguration is <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/katie-hobbs-innauguration-date-and-committee/75-7a2ea9d1-c0c2-4060-864f-155b12c73651" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set for January 5</a>.

Judge Rejects Sanctions Against Kari Lake

Election Fraud

Lawsuit

A high-powered Democratic attorney who became a big name in the Trump-Russia controversy may get a hefty paycheck for battling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> in her recently tossed 2022 election lawsuit seeking to overturn the results of last month&#8217;s governor&#8217;s race.
Arizona Governor-elect Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County filed motions on Monday for sanctions against Lake and her attorneys, which may amount to nearly $700,000 in penalties to cover the attorneys&#8217; fees and costs, according to an estimate from the <a href="https://arizonaslaw.blogspot.com/2022/12/sanctions-scorecard-keeping-track-of.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AZ Law blog</a>. Most of that money could go toward Marc Elias, who is well known as the lawyer who <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/lawyer-linked-to-steele-dossier-back-in-spotlight-working-for-mcauliffe-in-virginia-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directed funding</a> from Hillary Clinton&#8217;s 2016 presidential campaign and Democratic National Committee that went toward British ex-spy Christopher Steele&#8217;s <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/christopher-steele-holds-firm-on-defending-discredited-dossier" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now-discredited anti-Trump dossier</a>.
Hobbs filed motions in her capacity as Arizona&#8217;s secretary of state, the top elections position in the state, and candidate. In the latter, she declared $56,585 in &#8220;definite&#8221; fees and expenses for last week&#8217;s trial, of which $35,762.50 is for Elias&#8217; firm, the Elias Law Group. Another $20,822.50 was listed for the Perkins Coie law firm, which happens to be Elias&#8217; former employer during the 2016 election.
The filing also describes estimated fees &#8220;for additional legal services in connection with the election contest,&#8221; earmarking about $457,032.50 for the Elias Law Group and $93,177.50 for Perkins Coie.
Lake, a Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump, sued Hobbs and Maricopa County after the results showed that she lost the November contest to Hobbs by roughly 17,000 votes.
Maricopa County, which includes the capital of Phoenix and is Arizona&#8217;s most populous county, struggled with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-two-counties-delay-election-certification-as-ag-issues-letter-concerning-statutory-violations-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">problems</a> during the November 8 election, including printer and tabulation machine-related issues. This led to Lake&#8217;s suit claiming thousands of Republican voters were disenfranchised and argued “hundreds of thousands of illegal ballots infected the election in Maricopa County.”
Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson initially dismissed eight out of 10 claims in Lake&#8217;s lawsuit, but allowed two claims to proceed that had to do with allegations of intentional misconduct related to malfunctioning ballot printers and a failure to follow ballot chain-of-custody procedures. After a brief trial in Phoenix, the judge determined on Saturday that Lake and the witnesses she called to testify <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4531/638074764564181393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed to make an adequate case</a>, even after being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-scores-legal-win-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted limited ballot inspections</a>. Lake <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rules-against-kari-lake-in-election-lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed to appeal the ruling</a>.
Attorneys for Maricopa County argued in their <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4541/638076446367828773" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16-page filing</a> that Lake&#8217;s suit was “groundless” and “not made in good faith.&#8221; They also argued Lake attacked the court&#8217;s integrity after the lawsuit was dismissed, citing a <a href="https://twitter.com/LaurieRoberts/status/1607397565695426560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a> sharing a <a href="https://townhall.com/columnists/print/2617566" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link to a Townhall column</a> and highlighting a line that says, &#8220;Legal experts believe his decision was ghostwritten, they suspect top left-wing attorneys like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-high-powered-attorney-marc-elias-testifies-in-sussmann-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Elias</a> emailed him [the judge] what to say.&#8221;
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A few days ago I asked what conspiracy theory Kari Lake would offer for why she lost her election contest lawsuit. It is more insane than even I predicted. <a href="https://t.co/8K6OIfSVcc">pic.twitter.com/8K6OIfSVcc</a>
&mdash; Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) <a href="https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1607382599005003778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In response to that tweet, which appears to have been deleted, Elias remarked: &#8220;A few days ago I asked what conspiracy theory Kari Lake would offer for why she lost her election contest lawsuit. It is more insane than even I predicted.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Lake&#8217;s attorneys, Brian Blehm and Kurt Olsen, for comment on the requested sanctions.

Kari Lake Could Be On Hook For Big Payday Benefiting Dem Lawyer From Steele Dossier Debacle

A judge in Arizona dismissed a lawsuit brought by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a>, a Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump, seeking to overturn her defeat in the state governor&#8217;s race.
After a trial last week in Phoenix, Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled on Saturday that the suit&#8217;s two remaining claims lacked &#8220;clear and convincing&#8221; evidence of intentional misconduct in Maricopa County that would sway the outcome.
Now-Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, the Democrat in the race, is poised to be sworn in as governor. Lake has vowed to appeal.
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JUST IN: Judge Thompson rules against <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KariLake</a>, finding no intentional misconduct by <a href="https://twitter.com/maricopacounty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@maricopacounty</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/katiehobbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@katiehobbs</a> will be sworn in as governor of Arizona. <a href="https://t.co/B8TIEkqIsd">pic.twitter.com/B8TIEkqIsd</a>
&mdash; The AZ &#8211; abc15 &#8211; Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) <a href="https://twitter.com/Garrett_Archer/status/1606721256401010688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Lake, a former journalist who made election integrity a top priority of her campaign, sued Hobbs and Maricopa County after the results showed that she lost the November contest to Hobbs by roughly 17,000 votes.
Maricopa County, which includes the capital of Phoenix and is Arizona&#8217;s most populous county, struggled with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-two-counties-delay-election-certification-as-ag-issues-letter-concerning-statutory-violations-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">problems</a> during the November 8 election, including printer and tabulation machine-related issues. <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23404240/cv2022095403-complaint-in.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In her suit</a>, Lake claimed election officials worked to disenfranchise voters and alleged “hundreds of thousands of illegal ballots infected the election in Maricopa County.”
Last week, Thompson dismissed eight out of 10 claims in the lawsuit. He allowed two claims to proceed that had to do with allegations of intentional misconduct related to malfunctioning ballot printers and a failure to follow ballot chain-of-custody procedures.
During the ensuing trial, lawyers for the state argued the case <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/kari-lakes-election-loss-lawsuit-lacks-merit-according-to-arizona-state-lawyers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lacked merit</a>. The judge, <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4531/638074764564181393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in his 10-page ruling</a>, concurred, determining Lake and the witnesses she called to testify failed to make an adequate case, even after being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-scores-legal-win-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">granted limited ballot inspections</a>.
The court “acknowledges the anger and frustration of voters who were subjected to inconvenience and confusion at voter centers as technical problems arose during the 2022 General Election,&#8221; Thompson said.
“But this Court’s duty is not solely to incline an ear to public outcry,” the judge added. “It is to subject plaintiff’s claims and defendants’ actions to the light of the courtroom and scrutiny of the law.”
Two other Republican candidates, <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/abe-hamadeh-arizona-judge-rules-against-gop-attorney-general-candidate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Abe Hamadeh</a> and Mark Finchem, who ran for attorney general and secretary of state, respectively, also received unfavorable rulings in their legal challenges seeking to challenge their losses. <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2022/12/23/mark-finchem-files-appeal-after-judge-tossed-election-lawsuit/">Like Finchem</a>, Lake is taking the appeal route.
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My Election Case provided the world with evidence that proves our elections are run outside of the law. This Judge did not rule in our favor. However, for the sake of restoring faith and honesty in our elections, I will appeal his ruling.
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1606724410215653376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;My Election Case provided the world with evidence that proves our elections are run outside of the law. This Judge did not rule in our favor. However, for the sake of restoring faith and honesty in our elections, I will appeal his ruling,&#8221; Lake said in a tweet Saturday.
Hobbs celebrated the dismissal. <a href="https://twitter.com/katiehobbs/status/1606743611512692736" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A statement</a> from her campaign manager, Nicole DeMont, said the &#8220;voters of Arizona — not the conspiracy-riddled, dark corners of the Internet — are the ones who chose our leaders.&#8221;
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates <a href="https://twitter.com/maricopacounty/status/1606747029845475328" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called the ruling</a> &#8220;a win for Arizona voters and American democracy.&#8221;

Republican Nominee Kari Lake Campaigns For Governor Of Arizona

Judge Rules Against Kari Lake In Election Lawsuit

Courts

A Maricopa County judge ruled Monday that Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake will have her day in court to challenge the county&#8217;s ballot chain of custody and the efficacy of voting machine tabulators and printers during the 2022 midterm elections.
Judge Peter Thompson <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/arizona-judge-rules-two-kari-lakes-election-challenge-claims-can-trial">dismissed</a> eight other claims made by Lake in the lawsuit, but he said that a ballot inspection could occur on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m., which comes after Lake asked the Maricopa County officials to hand over several documents related to the election.
&#8220;It should proceed to trial,&#8221; said Kurt Olden, who represented Lake in court, according to a local Fox <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-judges-hold-hearings-over-2022-elections-latest-updates">affiliate</a>. &#8220;The people should get to see,&#8221; adding the suit is about &#8220;restoring trust in our election system.&#8221;
&#8220;The kind of debacle that happened on November 8 should never happen,&#8221; Olden said. &#8220;There are processes in place to make sure it doesn&#8217;t, and the defendants did not follow those processes — that&#8217;s the point, Your Honor.&#8221;
Lake claims voters were disenfranchised on Election Day from widespread polling issues in Maricopa County after its Recorder Stephen Richer and Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates told voters to cast ballots in secure drop boxes or a different location.
Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs received about 17,000 more statewide votes than Lake.
&#8220;Lake received the greatest number of votes and is entitled to be named the winner,&#8221; the lawsuit <a href="https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://files.elfsightcdn.com/44a37213-f1ce-431d-a795-e14b313603c7/8b7549fd-d072-4012-b867-13fd45e83459/Kari_Lake_Lawsuit.pdf">reads</a>. &#8220;Alternately, the election must be re-done in Maricopa County to eliminate the effects of maladministration and illegal votes on the vote tallies reported by Maricopa County.&#8221;
Maricopa County, the most populous county in the state, had notable problems during the November 8 election, including printer and tabulation machine-related issues in at least 70 of the county&#8217;s 223 polling locations. Lake claims there were tabulator breakdowns at over 59% of the voting centers within the county on Election Day.
The court granted Lake&#8217;s request to inspect some ballots within the county from Election Day.
Those ballots will include 150 randomly selected early ballots, &#8220;ballot-on-demand&#8221; printed ballots, and &#8220;ballot-on-demand&#8221; printed ballots marked as spoiled on Election Day from six Maricopa County vote centers chosen by Lake&#8217;s representative.
Hobbs&#8217; attorney argued that her former election opponent lacks evidence to support the allegations.
&#8220;In the end, Your Honor, if there is anything rotten in Arizona, it is what this contest represents,&#8221; said Abha Khanna, according to <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-judges-hold-hearings-over-2022-elections-latest-updates">local media</a>. &#8220;For the past several years our democracy and its basic guiding principles have been under sustained assault from candidates who just cannot or will not accept the fact that they lost.&#8221;
Maricopa County attorneys reportedly argued affidavits from voters showed they had to wait in longer-than-normal lines to cast their ballots but decried any election misconduct or evidence to support such fraudulent claims, including Lake’s lawyers misunderstood how the county’s chain-of-custody process works.
“This allegation is false, and will be easily disproven by the County if necessary,” Maricopa County lawyers <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4321/638067137081570000">wrote</a>. “Plaintiff reviewed the County’s Early Voting Ballot Transport Statements, but the chain of custody documents for election day are different because the process for early ballot delivery is different on election day.”
Following Thompson&#8217;s ruling, Lake took to Twitter, slamming legacy media.
&#8220;The Fake News is in FULL Desperation-Mode,&#8221; Lake said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1605053563289231360">tweet</a>. &#8220;These headlines are almost comical. Bottom line—our Election Case is going to Trial starting on Wednesday. @KatieHobbs &amp; @stephen_richer will be taking the stand.&#8221;
In a separate <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1605036082755645440">tweet</a>, Lake said, &#8220;Buckle up, America. This is far from over,&#8221; after calling out Hobb&#8217;s failed attempt to have her former opponent&#8217;s case thrown out.
GOP Secretary of State candidate Mark Finchem and GOP Attorney General candidate Abe Hamadeh have also filed lawsuits over the controversial election.
The Epoch Times <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/maricopa-judge-takes-motion-to-dismiss-kari-lake-lawsuit-under-advisement_4933302.html">reported</a> that a Maricopa County Superior Court staffer said the judge would likely announce his ruling during a scheduled meeting on the morning of December 22.
 Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this report.

Former President Trump And Fellow Conservatives Address Annual  CPAC Meeting

Kari Lake Election Lawsuit Can Go To Trial, Judge Rules

Judge Rules Portion Of Kari Lake Election Lawsuit Can Go To Trial

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a>, who is contesting an election defeat against Democratic Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, scored a legal win in Maricopa County on Thursday, when a court granted Lake&#8217;s request to have some ballots inspected within the county from Election Day.
Maricopa County, the most populous county in the state, had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-two-counties-delay-election-certification-as-ag-issues-letter-concerning-statutory-violations-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notable problems</a> during the November 8 election, including printer and tabulation machine-related issues in at least 70 of the county’s 223 polling locations. Lake <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/4331/638067137107670000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> there were tabulator breakdowns at over 59% of the voting centers within the county on Election Day.
The Maricopa County Superior Court of Arizona on Thursday advanced Lake&#8217;s request to inspect 50 randomly-selected Election Day cast and spoil-marked “ballot-on-demand” printed ballots from six county voting centers, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2022/12/16/kari-lake-maricopa-county-ballots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Daily Caller. Another 50 early cast ballots from six separate county batches will be inspected, too.
&#8220;On Election Day, thousands of Republican voters were disenfranchised as a result of Maricopa County election officials’ misconduct in connection with the widespread tabulator or printer failures at 59% of the 223 vote centers in Maricopa County,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23404240-cv2022095403-complaint-in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suit</a> from Lake alleges.
The Republican last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-files-lawsuit-against-maricopa-county-over-election-day-issues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> suit against Maricopa County officials, The Daily Wire reported.
“The filing today was basically just a way for the courts to pressure Maricopa County into giving us public records we have been asking for,” Lake <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1595580731392110592" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time.
The Republican also blasted county officials over the treatment of “Election Day voters,” which included those printer issues and “three-hour lines.”
“We cannot allow an election like this to stand,” the GOP candidate asserted.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Arizona attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh, a day before Lake&#8217;s November suit against county officials, filed a lawsuit in State Superior Court in Maricopa County against election officials, alleging “a host of errors and inaccuracies” during the 2022 election process, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-you-in-court-rnc-ag-candidate-sue-election-officials-in-arizona-over-alleged-errors-and-inaccuracies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
“Pervasive errors by our election officials resulted in the disenfranchisement of countless Arizonans who had their voices silenced,” Hamadeh said in a statement. “Arizonans deserve to have an election system that is transparent and fair and right now we have neither. Today’s challenge is the only way to provide accountability and restore confidence in our broken election system.”
In a press release, Hamadeh said the 25-page complaint “details a host of errors surrounding the administration of the November 2022 General Election concerning alleged election board misconduct, the tallying of unlawful ballots, and the erroneous counting of votes.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leaked-email-alleges-arizona-gov-elect-katie-hobbs-twitter-employees-colluded-to-censor-election-related-misinformation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leaked Email Alleges Arizona Gov-Elect Katie Hobbs, Twitter Employees Colluded To Censor ‘Election Related Misinformation’</a>

Kari Lake Scores Legal Win In Maricopa County

Internal email documents at<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter"> Twitter</a> reveal Arizona Governor-elect and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs allegedly colluded with former Twitter officials last year by flagging accounts related to so-called election misinformation.
The bombshell leak comes amid Elon Musk releasing internal company communications through journalist Matt Taibbi late last week, showing the company had previously censored conservatives at the behest of the Democrat Party.
According to an email on January 7, 2021, the communications director for Hobbs&#8217; Secretary of State office emailed the Center for Internet Security (CIS), a 501 nonprofit cybersecurity organization, saying they are &#8220;flagging&#8221; an unidentified Twitter profile for review under the subject line titled &#8220;Election Related Misinformation.&#8221;
The email also included an unknown employee at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, a branch under the federal government&#8217;s Department of Homeland Security.
<a class="c-link" tabindex="-1" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_medium=editorial&amp;utm_source=dwsite&amp;cid=dwplus&amp;mid=z&amp;xid=0" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-remove-tab-index="true" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-11242">TIRED OF THE LEGACY MEDIA&#8217;S BIAS CONTROLLING THE NARRATIVE AND OBSCURING THE TRUTH? JOIN US AND SAVE 30%.</a>
A representative with CIS then forwarded the message to a Twitter employee, saying, &#8220;Please see this report below from the Arizona SOS office. Please let me know if you have any questions.&#8221;
The Twitter employee then sent another email saying, &#8220;Thank you &#8230; both tweets have been removed from the service.&#8221;
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Unreal! Katie Hobbs’s office contacts Twitter to have posts removed! So, the democrat candidate, who ran the AZ election, censored her political opponents, disrupted Election Day votes, and then threatened counties with prosecution if they didn’t declare her the winner. <a href="https://t.co/TWIgHHPqkd">pic.twitter.com/TWIgHHPqkd</a>
&mdash; Christina Bobb (@christina_bobb) <a href="https://twitter.com/christina_bobb/status/1599399706613923840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Hobbs recently defeated Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake by less than one point in the 2022 midterm elections.
Arizona officials — including Arizona&#8217;s current governor Doug Ducey, the state attorney general, and chief justice — are set to certify Hobbs as the Copper State&#8217;s 24th governor based on the election result submitted by the state&#8217;s 15 counties.
Lake, who has yet to concede to her opponent based on allegations of election fraud, <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1599408261156872197">called</a> the email leaks a &#8220;Conflict of Interest, Coercion, Corruption.&#8221;
She reportedly plans to sue Maricopa County — Arizona&#8217;s largest county — next week to overturn her election loss.
In a video she posted on social media, Lake said, &#8220;stay tuned,&#8221; adding her lawsuit includes &#8220;at least one smoking gun&#8221; whistleblower and a &#8220;team of patriotic, talented lawyers on a legal case to challenge the botched elections.&#8221;
&#8220;And you&#8217;ll want to stay tuned for this one,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Trust me.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
An update on our Fight, Arizona: <a href="https://t.co/tXrjrTFDc8">pic.twitter.com/tXrjrTFDc8</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1597390350171000832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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With the latest email leak from Musk and Taibbi&#8217;s &#8220;Twitter Files&#8221; alleging Hobbs and the federal government conspired with Twitter, other lawmakers have called for an investigation into the governor-elect.
Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Twitter, &#8220;SOS of AZ and Gov candidate, Katie Hobbs, used the power of the AZ SOS to collude w/ Twitter to unconstitutionally violate 1st Amendment rights of Americans for her own political gain.&#8221;
&#8220;This is communism and Hobbs can not be governor. I&#8217;m calling for a Federal investigation,&#8221; she added.
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The SOS of AZ and Gov candidate, Katie Hobbs, used the power of the AZ SOS to collude w/ Twitter to unconstitutionally violate 1st Amendment rights of Americans for her own political gain. This is communism and Hobbs can not be governor. I’m calling for a Federal investigation. <a href="https://t.co/NvYpbVDuZZ">https://t.co/NvYpbVDuZZ</a>
&mdash; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1599415430153572352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Texas Republican Rep. Troy Nehls on Friday called on Musk to release the names of government officials involved in censorship at Twitter.
&#8220;Investigations are coming,&#8221; Nehls said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Release the names of government officials. 
Investigations are coming. <a href="https://t.co/1FfKVe1uQc">https://t.co/1FfKVe1uQc</a>
&mdash; Congressman Troy Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepTroyNehls/status/1598855309513981952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Katie Hobbs Holds A Get Out The Vote Rally In Phoenix

Leaked Email Alleges Arizona Gov-Elect Katie Hobbs, Twitter Employees Colluded To Censor ‘Election Related Misinformation’

Big Tech

Twitter

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> filed a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kari-lake-maricopa-county-lawsuit-arizona-governors-race-no-concession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> Wednesday against Maricopa County officials, alleging election law violations and demanding records related to Election Day printer issues.
Maricopa County, the most populous county in the state, had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-two-counties-delay-election-certification-as-ag-issues-letter-concerning-statutory-violations-in-maricopa-county" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notable problems</a> during the November 8 election, including printer and tabulation machine-related issues in at least 70 of the county’s 223 polling locations.
&#8220;The filing today was basically just a way for the courts to pressure Maricopa County into giving us public records we have been asking for,&#8221; Lake <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1595580731392110592" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday.
The Republican blasted county officials over the treatment of &#8220;Election Day voters,&#8221; which included those printer issues and &#8220;three-hour lines.&#8221;
&#8220;We cannot allow an election like this to stand,&#8221; Lake asserted.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) and Arizona attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh a day earlier filed a lawsuit in State Superior Court in Maricopa County against election officials, alleging “a host of errors and inaccuracies” during the 2022 election process, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-you-in-court-rnc-ag-candidate-sue-election-officials-in-arizona-over-alleged-errors-and-inaccuracies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
“Pervasive errors by our election officials resulted in the disenfranchisement of countless Arizonans who had their voices silenced,” Hamadeh said in a statement. “Arizonans deserve to have an election system that is transparent and fair and right now we have neither. Today’s challenge is the only way to provide accountability and restore confidence in our broken election system.”
In a press release issued Tuesday night, Hamadeh said the 25-page complaint “details a host of errors surrounding the administration of the November 2022 General Election concerning alleged election board misconduct, the tallying of unlawful ballots, and the erroneous counting of votes.” 
Arizona’s outgoing attorney general, Mark Brnovich, ordered Maricopa County officials on November 19 to submit a report on its handling of the election.
The letter said there is evidence, including first-hand witness accounts, of “statutory violations” in the contest, which Katie Hobbs oversees as secretary of state. Hobbs, a Democrat, is the projected winner of the Arizona gubernatorial contest against Lake.
Additionally, at least two counties in the state — Cochise County and Mohave County — have confirmed that their certification of the 2022 election will be delayed until the November 28 deadline.
The two Republican supervisors in Cochise County voted November 18 for the delay after some argued the county’s vote-counting machines were not properly certified. State Elections Director Kori Lorick <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/decision/republican-controlled-mohave-county-arizona-delays-certifying-election-for-now/75-ea0ddb7c-bc5e-4372-8435-980038a315d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> the board that the state would sue if it did not certify on time.
In a split vote, Mohave County <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/decision/republican-controlled-mohave-county-arizona-delays-certifying-election-for-now/75-ea0ddb7c-bc5e-4372-8435-980038a315d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> voted to delay as a protest against voting issues in Maricopa County.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-you-in-court-rnc-ag-candidate-sue-election-officials-in-arizona-over-alleged-errors-and-inaccuracies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘See You In Court’: RNC, AG Candidate Sue Election Officials In Arizona Over Alleged ‘Errors And Inaccuracies’</a>

Kari Lake Files Lawsuit Against Maricopa County Over Election Day Issues

At least two counties in Arizona have confirmed that their certification of the 2022 election will be delayed as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-gov-election-in-doubt-as-ag-demands-full-report-on-myriad-problems-in-maricopa-voting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the state&#8217;s attorney general&#8217;s office</a> wrote a letter claiming there&#8217;s evidence of &#8220;statutory violations&#8221; that occurred in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maricopa-county-is-still-counting-votes-but-they-had-time-to-lash-out-at-disinformation-super-spreaders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maricopa County</a> on Election Day.
Republican-controlled Cochise County and Mohave County both voted to delay certification until the November 28 deadline.
The two Republican supervisors in Cochise voted Friday for the delay after some argued the county’s vote-counting machines <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3745387-two-arizona-counties-delay-certification-of-2022-election-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were not properly certified</a>. State Elections Director Kori Lorick, displeased with the vote, <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/decision/republican-controlled-mohave-county-arizona-delays-certifying-election-for-now/75-ea0ddb7c-bc5e-4372-8435-980038a315d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> the board that the state would sue if they did not certify on time.
In a split vote, Mohave County <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/decision/republican-controlled-mohave-county-arizona-delays-certifying-election-for-now/75-ea0ddb7c-bc5e-4372-8435-980038a315d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> voted to delay as a protest against voting issues in Maricopa County, the state&#8217;s most populous county.
Pinal County and La Paz County, both Republican-controlled, <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/politics/elections/decision/republican-controlled-mohave-county-arizona-delays-certifying-election-for-now/75-ea0ddb7c-bc5e-4372-8435-980038a315d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> Monday to certify election results.
The delays come as the office of state Attorney General Mark Brnovich on Saturday ordered Maricopa County officials to submit a report on its handling of the November 8 election.
The letter said there is evidence, including first-hand witness accounts, of “statutory violations&#8221; in the contest, which is overseen by Katie Hobbs as Secretary of State. Hobbs is the projected winner of the Arizona gubernatorial contest against Republican candidate Kari Lake. 
Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright wrote in the letter that “Arizonans deserve a full report and accounting of the myriad problems that occurred in relation to Maricopa County’s administration of the 2022 General Election.” She added that these issues relate to the county’s “ability to lawfully certify election results” and ordered a response “before Maricopa County submits its official canvass to the Secretary of State, which must occur on or before November 28.” 
Printers in at least 70 of the county&#8217;s 223 polling locations printed ballots with ink too light to be read by tabulation machines, causing long wait times across precincts as election officials tried to sort out the problems. Voters were forced to either wait in long lines for up to hours, travel to a new polling location, or drop their ballots in drop boxes to be counted in Phoenix. Notably, most of the affected precincts were heavily <a href="https://arizonasuntimes.com/2022/11/21/maricopa-county-voting-centers-plagued-with-tabulation-errors-on-election-day-affected-areas-averaging-well-over-300-percent-more-republicans-than-democrats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conservative</a> areas according to the Arizona Sun Times.
“Maricopa County appears to have failed to adhere to the statutory guidelines in segregating, counting, tabulating, tallying, and transporting the ‘Door 3’ ballots,” Wright said. “In fact, Maricopa County has admitted that in some voting locations, ‘Door 3’ non-tabulated ballots were commingled with tabulated ballots at the voting location.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The tabulators in Maricopa County worked 100% of the time during an early voting season that heavily favors the <a href="https://twitter.com/azdemparty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@azdemparty</a>.
They worked just 52% of the time on Election Day for the <a href="https://twitter.com/AZGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AZGOP</a>.
Maricopa Country consists of 62% of Arizona.
This election was broken. <a href="https://t.co/rIb97AIryU">https://t.co/rIb97AIryU</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLakeWarRoom/status/1593660384572948480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In a video message to her supporters on Monday, Lake noted of the letter and emphasized her continued fight in the race.
“Whether done accidentally or intentionally, it is clear that this election was a debacle that destroyed any trust in our elections,&#8221; Lake charged. &#8220;Arizonans who choose to make their voice heard on election day should not be disenfranchised or punished for choosing to vote in person yet they were.&#8221; 
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My message to the People of Arizona &amp; the United States: <a href="https://t.co/mtNBl7728S">pic.twitter.com/mtNBl7728S</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1594770831069937666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-gov-election-in-doubt-as-ag-demands-full-report-on-myriad-problems-in-maricopa-voting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona Gov. Election In Doubt As AG Demands Full Report On ‘Myriad Problems’ In Maricopa Voting</a>

GOP Candidates Attend Arizona Republican Party Election Night Event

Arizona: Two Counties Delay Election Certification As AG Issues Letter Concerning ‘Statutory Violations’ In Maricopa County

Arizona’s attorney general&#8217;s office ordered <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maricopa-county-is-still-counting-votes-but-they-had-time-to-lash-out-at-disinformation-super-spreaders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maricopa County</a> officials to submit a report on its botched handling of the November 8 election that led to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ apparent victory over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kari-lake-exploring-every-avenue-for-legal-challenges-over-arizona-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican Kari Lake</a>, saying answers are needed before the election can be certified.
In a <a href="https://www.azag.gov/sites/default/files/2022-11/221119%20Letter%20to%20Maricopa%20County%20re%202022%20General%20Election%20Administration.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter from the election integrity unit of Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s office</a>, a top official cited evidence of “statutory violations” in the contest, in which Hobbs, who as secretary of state, oversees elections, overcame huge deficits in the polls. There were widespread malfunctions of voting machines in conservative areas of the state’s most populous county, which became a national punchline as it took more than a week to tally votes.
“These complaints go beyond pure speculation, but include first-hand witness accounts that raise concerns regarding Maricopa’s lawful compliance with Arizona election law,” wrote Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright in a Saturday letter to the county’s chief civil division attorney, Thomas Liddy.
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We&#39;ve asked Maricopa County for answers. 
This is what we get in return.<a href="https://t.co/ENKq4hTnMc">pic.twitter.com/ENKq4hTnMc</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLakeWarRoom/status/1593726111338225664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Wright requested a full report on how tabulator and printer malfunctions at some 60 Maricopa voting locations were addressed on Election Day, as well a copy of each voting location&#8217;s Official Ballot Report, including any discrepancies and explanations. The machines were tested the day before the election and no problems were detected, Wright’s letter noted.
Lake, who led in some polls by double digits heading into the election, has expressed skepticism that it was conducted honestly, saying “Arizonans know B.S. when they see it.” Her team has been gathering and tweeting testimonials of voters who said they were turned away when they tried to vote, watched as their ballots were rendered defective, or tabulated improperly.
Wright’s letter cites potential legal violations in the way poll workers handled ballots that could not be ingested into tabulators. There were widespread reports that those ballots were collected separately, though without proper security.
“Maricopa County appears to have failed to adhere to the statutory guidelines in segregating, counting, tabulating, tallying, and transporting the ‘Door 3’ ballots,” Wright wrote. “In fact, Maricopa County has admitted that in some voting locations, ‘Door 3’ non-tabulated ballots were commingled with tabulated ballots at the voting location.”
Wright cited a sworn statement from one election observer who said those non-tabulated votes were placed in duffle bags and possibly commingled with tabulated votes.
The state has not yet officially certified a winner, though that is supposed to occur at the beginning of next month. Wright said the report must be submitted before election results can be properly certified.
“Arizonans deserve a full report and accounting of the myriad problems that occurred in relation to Maricopa County’s administration of the 2022 General Election,” Wright wrote in the letter. “As the canvass is looming, and these issues relate to Maricopa County’s ability to lawfully certify election results – the Unit requests a response to the aforementioned issues on or before Maricopa County submits its official canvass to the Secretary of State, which must occur on or before November 28, 2022.”

Arizona Gov. Election In Doubt As AG Demands Full Report On ‘Myriad Problems’ In Maricopa Voting

Arizona Gov. Election In Doubt As AG Demands Full Report On 'Myriad Problems' In Maricopa Voting

U.S.

Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> is planning legal challenges to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> election after her projected loss to Democrat candidate and Secretary of State Katie Hobbs.
Multiple outlets called the Arizona gubernatorial race for Hobbs on Monday after nearly a week of counting ballots showed her with what is projected to be an insurmountable lead over Lake. With 99% of the vote in on Thursday, Hobbs <a href="https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/arizona/statewide-offices/">held</a> a roughly 17,000 vote lead over the Republican candidate.
“I am still in this fight with you. For two years, I’ve been sounding the alarm about our broken election system here in Arizona and this past week has confirmed everything we’ve been saying,” Lake said in a video posted to her social media on Thursday.
&#8220;Our election officials failed us miserably,” she continued. “Rest assured I have assembled the best and brightest legal team, and we are exploring every avenue to correct the many wrongs that have been done this past week.”
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Arizona, we are still in the fight. <a href="https://t.co/ytaGvqG5J0">pic.twitter.com/ytaGvqG5J0</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1593251949201084423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Arizona’s Election Day was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2022/11/13/arizona-voting-problems-kari-lake-katie-hobbs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marred</a> by issues at numerous precincts. Printers at 70 of Maricopa County’s 223 polling locations printed ballots with ink too light to be read by tabulation machines, causing long wait times across precincts as election officials tried to sort out the problems. Voters were forced to wait in long lines, travel to a new polling location, or drop their ballots in drop boxes to be counted in Phoenix.
Maricopa County, which includes the Phoenix area, is the most populous county in Arizona and the fourth most populous county in the U.S.
Lake made election security one of the pillars of her campaign. Hobbs repeatedly attacked Lake as an election denier and “conspiracy theorist.” Hobbs <a href="https://twitter.com/katiehobbs/status/1592931543097364480" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in her victory speech this week that “Arizonans chose solving our problems over conspiracy theories.”
As governor, Hobbs <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/11/16/arizona-governor-katie-hobbs-2022-midterm-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she wouldn’t pursue any drastic changes to Arizona’s election processes. She said the speed with which ballots are counted could be increased by making changes to signature verification requirements. She also floated expanding early voting.
Bill Gates, who chairs the Maricopa County board of supervisors, has pushed back against allegations of fraud. Gates, a Republican, has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/08/us/politics/maricopa-voting-problems.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the machine problems are a “technical issue,” not evidence of fraud.
The campaigns of Lake, GOP U.S. Senate candidate Blake Masters, and the Republican National Committee sued Maricopa County election officials on Election Day in an attempt to convince the court to allow precincts to stay open for an additional three hours to allow time for voters to cast their ballots. The lawsuit was denied.
Masters conceded his race to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly on Tuesday.
“There were obviously a lot of problems with his election, but there is no path forward in my race,” Masters said in a <a href="https://twitter.com/bgmasters/status/1592628097836539904" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. He is about five points <a href="https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/arizona/senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">behind</a> Kelly in the total vote count.

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