The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which works to elect GOP senators, endorsed Republican candidate Kari Lake on Tuesday as the party aims to flip control of the Senate in the 2024 election.
Republicans have circled Arizona as a vital Senate race in the upcoming cycle as the party needs to flip at least two seats to regain control of the upper chamber of Congress. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the chair of the NRSC, released a statement on Tuesday announcing the committee’s endorsement of Lake, calling her “one of the most talented candidates in the country.”
“Kari is building an effective campaign operation that has what it takes to flip Arizona’s Senate seat in November. I’m proud to endorse Kari Lake for United States Senate,” Daines said.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AZSEN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AZSEN</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y1I4OHLgFb">pic.twitter.com/Y1I4OHLgFb</a>
&mdash; Senate Republicans (@NRSC) <a href="https://twitter.com/NRSC/status/1757409993140076874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Lake, who has positioned herself as an anti-establishment firebrand within the Republican Party, accepted the NRSC’s endorsement with gratitude.
“I am honored to have the endorsement of Chairman Daines and the NRSC,” Lake told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/13/kari-lake-nrsc-endorsement-00141107" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>. “We are uniting Republicans in Arizona and have a clear path to victory, The Senate Majority runs through Arizona.”
The former news anchor won the Republican nomination for Arizona governor in 2022 but was narrowly defeated by Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs, who <a href="https://www.cnn.com/election/2022/results/arizona/governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secured</a> around 17,000 more votes than Lake. The Republican candidate <a href="https://azmirror.com/2023/09/19/kari-lake-appeals-again-accuses-maricopa-county-of-engineered-election-day-chaos/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appealed</a> the results of the 2022 election multiple times with no success, arguing the vote was swayed by “chaos” that was “engineered” by Maricopa County on Election Day. On Election Day in 2022, voting machines in Maricopa County had <a href="https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/maricopa-county-releases-report-investigation-2022-election-ballot-printing-issues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issues</a> reading the ballots cast.
Along with Lake&#8217;s loss in the 2022 gubernatorial election, Republicans also failed to flip the Senate seat held by Democrat Mark Kelly as Kelly <a href="https://www.politico.com/2022-election/results/arizona/senate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handily defeated</a> GOP nominee Blake Masters.
Lake, a devoted Trump supporter, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/kari-lake-kicks-arizona-senate-bid-trump-endorsement-rcna119502" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jumped</a> into the Senate race in Arizona last October with the former president’s endorsement, hoping to win the seat currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat who recently became an independent. Multiple Republican candidates, including Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, are challenging Lake for the nomination, while Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is expected to be the Democratic nominee.
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The NRSC’s endorsement of Lake comes amid a scandal within the Arizona GOP that exploded when Lake <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-gop-chair-resigns-over-release-of-alleged-bribery-recording" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaked</a> an audio recording of Arizona Republican Party chairman Jeff DeWit allegedly bribing the candidate to suspend her Senate campaign. DeWit <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/az-gop-chair-accuses-kari-lake-of-set-up-in-secret-recording-lake-denies-blackmail-accusations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the secret audio recording from Lake “deceptive” and “selectively edited,” adding that it was “orchestrated” by Lake in an attempt to “have control over the state party.”
Lake’s campaign denied having “threatened or blackmailed” DeWit, and the Arizona GOP chair resigned after audio of his conversation with Lake was leaked.

Kari Lake

Kari Lake Scores Big Endorsement From Senate Republicans’ Campaign Arm

Kari Lake Scores Big Endorsement From Senate Republicans' Campaign Arm

2024 Election

Arizona

Elections

Politics

Republicans

U.S. Senate

The chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, an ally of former President Donald Trump, resigned on Wednesday after audio emerged this week of him offering money to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> to stay out of the U.S. Senate race in the state. But in his statement of resignation, the now-former chairman suggested that Lake had acted nefariously.
Chairman Jeff DeWit called the secret audio recording from Lake &#8220;deceptive&#8221; and &#8220;a selectively edited audio recording of our private conversation.&#8221; He went on to suggest that Lake had &#8220;orchestrated&#8221; the exchange in an attempt to &#8220;have control over the state party.&#8221; Lake&#8217;s campaign responded in a statement to The Daily Wire by denying having &#8220;threatened or blackmailed&#8221; DeWit.
&#8220;The recording, from over ten months ago, is not only taken out of context but also undermines the integrity of private discussions critical for party leadership,&#8221; DeWit said in his <a href="https://twitter.com/AZGOP/status/1750234611890971064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1750234611890971064%7Ctwgr%5E2f09447f34146f58caec836720ffc7549589fc75%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Farizona-gop-chair-resigns-over-release-of-alleged-bribery-recording" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a>, adding that at the time the recording was made, he was employing Lake at his private company.
&#8220;In fact, for over a year and a half we had many conversations where I was looking out for her financial interests,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The ethical breach in her recording of our conversation, while Lake was my employee, raises serious legal and moral concerns. This act of recording was not just a betrayal of trust but also a violation of the fiduciary responsibilities of an employee. Contrary to accusations of bribery, my discussions were transparent and intended to offer perspective, not coercion. Our relationship was based on friendship, and the conversation that is now being scrutinized was an open, unguarded exchange between friends in the living room of her house. I genuinely believed I was offering a helpful perspective to someone I considered a friend.&#8221;
DeWit said that ever since he advised that Lake postpone her desire for elected office for another two years so she could run again for the state&#8217;s governorship, she has &#8220;been on a mission to destroy me.&#8221;
&#8220;The release of our conversation by Lake confirms a disturbing tendency to exploit private interactions for personal gain and increases concerns about her habit of secretly recording personal and private conversations,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This is obviously a concern given how much interaction she has with high profile people including President Trump. I question how effective a United States Senator can be when they cannot be trusted to engage in private and confidential conversations.&#8221;
DeWit said that he regretted some of the things that he said in the recording, but realized when he went back and listened to the tape that it was a &#8220;set up.&#8221;
&#8220;I believe she orchestrated this entire situation to have control over the state party, and it is obvious from the recording that she crafted her performance responses with the knowledge that she was recording it, intending to use this recording later to portray herself as a hero in her own story,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This morning, I was determined to fight for my position. However, a few hours ago, I received an ultimatum from Lake&#8217;s team: resign today or face the release of a new, more damaging recording.&#8221;
&#8220;I am truly unsure of its contents, but considering our numerous past open conversations as friends, I have decided not to take the risk,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I am resigning as Lake requested, in the hope that she will honor her commitment to cease her attacks, allowing me to return to the business sector&#8211;a field I find much more logical and prefer over politics.&#8221;
DeWit noted in his statement that he was a &#8220;proud supporter&#8221; of Trump and had worked as &#8220;the COO &amp; CFO of his 2016 campaign, served in his Administration for two years, and returned as the COO of the 2020 campaign.&#8221;
In response to DeWit&#8217;s satement, the Lake campaign told The Daily Wire, &#8220;The tape speaks for itself: The Arizona GOP Chairman Jeff DeWit attempted to bribe Kari Lake. Thankfully Kari is an extremely ethical person who rejected DeWit’s multiple attempts to offer her money and corporate board seats in exchange for Kari not running for public office. She will be an incredible Senator for Arizonans. No one from the Kari Lake campaign threatened or blackmailed DeWit. It is unfortunate that Dewit hasn’t recognized how unethical his behavior was and still hasn’t apologized to Arizona Republicans. DeWit’s false claims are just par for the course. The Arizona GOP must be relieved to have his resignation. Now we can focus on getting ethical leadership and win big in 2024.&#8221;

NASA Announces Plans To Expand Commercial Activities At International Space Station

AZ GOP Chair Accuses Kari Lake Of ‘Set-Up’ In Secret Recording; Lake Denies ‘Blackmail’ Accusations

AZ GOP Chair Accuses Kari Lake Of 'Set-Up' In Secret Recording; Lake Denies 'Blackmail' Accusations

Arizona Republican Party chairman Jeff DeWit resigned on Wednesday after an audio recording leaked of him allegedly offering a bribe to Kari Lake to suspend her campaign for the U.S. Senate.
DeWit faced backlash from Arizona Republicans, including from Lake herself, this week after the audio was obtained and published by the U.K.&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12996297/EXCLUSIVE-Audio-recording-reveals-moment-senior-Republican-figure-tried-bribe-Kari-Lake-not-run-Senate.html">Daily Mail</a> on Tuesday. The audio was recorded in March of last year and allegedly captured DeWit offering Lake to name a price that would convince her to suspend her Senate campaign and forgo politics for two years.
DeWit accused Lake of selectively leaking the audio and undermining the Republican Party in a statement announcing his resignation.
&#8220;In light of the recent revelation that Kari Lake has released a selectively edited audio recording of our private conversation, I must clearly address this deceptive tactic. The recording, from over ten months ago, is not only taken out of context, but also undermines the integrity of private discussions critical for party leadership,&#8221; DeWit wrote.
DeWit alleged he was &#8220;set up&#8221; and said he could not compete with Lake&#8217;s &#8220;massive megaphone.&#8221; DeWit lamented that the affair distracts from GOP efforts in 2024.
&#8220;This is all such a distraction to that mission that I am doing as Ms. Lake wishes and am stepping down as Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party,&#8221; DeWit concluded.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Statement from Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffDeWitAZ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JeffDeWitAZ</a> 
 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AZGOP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AZGOP</a> <a href="https://t.co/qxKd2Pqlp6">pic.twitter.com/qxKd2Pqlp6</a>
&mdash; Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZGOP/status/1750234611890971064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Lake, a Republican firebrand who lost a 2020 run for Arizona governor, called on DeWit to resign on Tuesday.
“[DeWit] has got to resign. We can’t have somebody who is corrupt and compromised running the Republican Party,” Lake told an NBC reporter at former President Donald Trump’s New Hampshire primary victory party on Tuesday night.
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Kari Lake calls for <a href="https://twitter.com/AZGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AZGOP</a> Chair Jeff DeWit to resign after release of audio in which he can be heard bribing Lake to not run for the U.S. Senate in exchange for a potential job (and its salary): <a href="https://t.co/8tF4sodXf3">https://t.co/8tF4sodXf3</a> <a href="https://t.co/4XBSzoVyYL">pic.twitter.com/4XBSzoVyYL</a>
&mdash; Vaughn Hillyard (@VaughnHillyard) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaughnHillyard/status/1749976071611580646?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
Maricopa County Republican Committee chairman Craig Berland told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12996297/EXCLUSIVE-Audio-recording-reveals-moment-senior-Republican-figure-tried-bribe-Kari-Lake-not-run-Senate.html">Daily Mail</a> that DeWit should step aside if the bribery allegation against him is true.
The recording of DeWit and Lake appears to have been recorded during an in-person conversation between the two.
“So, the ask I got today from back east was: ‘Is there any companies out there or something that could just put her on the payroll to keep her out?’” DeWit says, according to the recording. “Just say, is there a number at which …”
Lake interjects: “I can be bought? That’s what it’s about.”
“You can take a pause for a couple of years. You can go right back to what you&#8217;re doing,” DeWit continues.
Lake responds: “This is not about money, it’s about our country.”
At one point in the conversation, DeWit appears to attempt to explain the reasoning behind the desire for Lake to step aside for the 2024 cycle. He says the request comes down to “the ability to raise money to win.”
Lake says: “I don’t want to make a deal with these kinds of people. This is a hill worth dying on.”
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BREAKING: Explosive revelation: top Republican official caught on bombshell audio attempting to bribe Kari Lake (<a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KariLake</a>) to abandon senate run in Arizona. LISTEN<a href="https://t.co/Qw817XWJO0">pic.twitter.com/Qw817XWJO0</a>
&mdash; Simon Ateba (@simonateba) <a href="https://twitter.com/simonateba/status/1749890344181711073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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DeWit <a href="https://azgop.com/articles/introducing-your-new-chairman-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> control of the Arizona Republican Party last year. Prior to winning the election to chair the state party, he served in the Trump administration as Chief Financial Officer of NASA, receiving unanimous approval by the U.S. Senate.
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DeWit was also active in former President Donald Trump&#8217;s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. In 2016, he served as the Trump campaign&#8217;s Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer. In 2020, Dewit was a part of Trump&#8217;s re-election effort again as COO.
He won election to be state treasurer of Arizona in 2014.
&nbsp;

Jeff DeWit

Arizona GOP Chair Resigns Over Release Of Alleged Bribery Recording

Republican Party

Former GOP Arizona gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> announced her bid for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, seeking the Republican nomination in 2024.
Lake, 54, a former television anchor in Arizona for more than 20 years before entering politics, registered her Senate campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission last week.
&#8220;I am not going to retreat,&#8221; Lake <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kari-lake-launches-bid-us-senate-arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> told a crowd in Scottsdale, Arizona. &#8220;I&#8217;m going to stand on top of this hill with every single one of you. And I know you&#8217;re on my side as I formally announce my candidacy for the United States Senate.&#8221;
Since leaving the media, she became one of the most outspoken supporters of former President Donald Trump. Lake spent the months leading up to her bid for Congress advocating for his 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve got one year to save this country, and we&#8217;ve got to go in a different direction, people,&#8221; Lake <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/11/kari-lake-senate-announcement-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, according to Axios. &#8220;We&#8217;ve got to go away from Joe Biden.&#8221;
Trump reportedly endorsed Lake in a video played during the event.
&#8220;In the Senate, we have to have a big, strong majority to help me push our America First agenda through and to push it through really fast,&#8221; Trump said, according to Axios. &#8220;And that starts right here, tonight, by helping Kari Lake win in Arizona. She will win.&#8221;
The former journalist made election integrity a top priority of her 2022 campaign for governor, in which she narrowly lost the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs. She has yet to concede losing the race.
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Lake legally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-dismisses-final-claim-in-kari-lakes-2022-election-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> the election results that showed her defeat to Hobbs by roughly 17,000 votes, alleging misconduct and illegal votes with issues ranging from mail-in ballots, chain-of-custody, and problematic ballot printers.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson rejected the final part in May after a failure to show the county did not properly perform signature verifications for early ballots.
Lake reportedly spent the summer traveling across 14 states, speaking to Republican organizations at the state and county levels to support candidates in other Senate races.
Her announcement follows Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, who placed his bid for the Republican nomination, and businessman Brian Wright, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-ally-kari-lake-launch-us-senate-bid-arizona-2023-10-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Reuters.
One of the GOP candidates will likely face Democrat Rep. Ruben Gallego and incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who became an independent last year after leaving the Democrat Party. Sinema has not confirmed if she will run in the next race.
Reports indicate the Arizona race is expected to be one of the most closely watched in the next election cycle as the state shares roughly 370 miles of its border with Mexico. The massive influx of immigration into the United States is reportedly to become one of the main topics in the Senate race.
&#8220;Our border is wide open in Arizona&#8230; there is an absolute invasion in our country,&#8221; Lake <a href="https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/hold-kari-lake-launches-bid-us-senate?utm_source=mux&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m really, really worried about the same thing happening here. The cartels own Arizona, and until we kick Joe Biden to the curb, Ruben Gallego, and Krysten Sinema, we&#8217;re not gonna have a state.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Kari Lake Holds Rally To Make Announcement About Her Political Future

Kari Lake Announces Bid For U.S. Senate

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a> confronted Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who she is running against for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema&#8217;s (I-AZ) seat in 2024, outside a bathroom at an airport in Phoenix this week over the immigration crisis in the state.
&#8220;Unfortunately, our border&#8217;s wide open,&#8221; she said. &#8220;You and Kyrsten have had a lot of time to do something about it. And even the Democrats are upset about it.&#8221;
Gallego said that there was &#8220;some common ground&#8221; that Democrats could work with Republicans when it came to solving the border crisis.
&#8220;The problem is we have plenty of people here right now,&#8221; Lake said. &#8220;We have millions of people here. Fentanyl has killed more young people and you have had an opportunity to vote.&#8221;
Lake praised former President Donald Trump during the conversation for the border conditions during his administration and told a passerby that Gallego wanted to &#8220;destroy our country.&#8221;
Gallego offered to go down to the border with Lake and suggested that the two set something up with local mayors.
&#8220;Let&#8217;s go down to the border together,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s get the mayor&#8217;s together.&#8221;
&#8220;We have to finish the wall,&#8221; Lake responded.
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Gallego said that there should be some border wall along with various other measures to make the border more secure.
Lake said that she was not interested in working together with Gallego and that her focus was on beating him.
WATCH:
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KariLake</a> confronts Democrat opponent on the border 
LAKE: “ I’m not working together with you, I’m going to beat you.” <a href="https://t.co/wMbC7iGF4O">pic.twitter.com/wMbC7iGF4O</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1710097797767196959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Kari Lake Confronts Ruben Gallego About Border Conditions

Illegal Immigration

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-ruben-gallego-announces-campaign-for-kyrsten-sinemas-senate-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ruben Gallego</a> (D-AZ) took some backlash on Wednesday after he attempted to define the &#8220;cultural identity&#8221; of Republicans during a campaign event at a church in Gilbert, Arizona.
Gallego, who has announced a run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), claimed that Republican &#8220;culture&#8221; could ultimately be boiled down to firearms and &#8220;jacked up&#8221; trucks &#8220;with some cow nuts hanging in the back.&#8221;
WATCH:
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AZ Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego: &quot;If you are a Republican, you have to have a bunch of guns, a jacked up truck with some cow nuts hanging in the back. That&#39;s your cultural identity now.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/spNYL383Qv">pic.twitter.com/spNYL383Qv</a>
&mdash; Greg Price (@greg_price11) <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1691975011584581727?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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According to a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/az-senate-candidate-claims-weapons-little-cow-nuts-trucks-define-gop-culture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Fox News Digital, Gallego was initially responding to a question from the audience about school shootings.
&#8220;School shooting-level casualties happen every day in the streets of America,&#8221; Gallego claimed, adding, &#8220;We don&#8217;t focus on trying to stop everyday gun violence because a lot of politicians are afraid of the NRA and the gun lobby.&#8221;
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&#8220;And also, even beyond the gun lobby, there is now weapons — and I don&#8217;t really call them guns. As a Marine, I call them weapons,&#8221; Gallego continued. &#8220;Weapons have now become more of a cultural thing. It&#8217;s like, if you&#8217;re a Republican, you have to have a bunch of guns, some, you know, jacked-up truck with some of those little cow nuts hanging in the back. That&#8217;s your cultural identity now.&#8221;
Critics quickly pointed out a few things wrong with Gallego&#8217;s blanket assessment — namely that cows, being female, did not *have* nuts.
Arizona State Rep. Austin Smith, a Republican, responded, &#8220;Cows don’t have nuts… but I guess this is his worldview outside Phoenix, very narrow minded and ignorant. DC will do that to ya!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Guns ✅ Jacked up truck ✅ Cow nuts on my truck ⭕️
I’m failing on my Republican credentials. Cc: <a href="https://twitter.com/JenWEsq?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JenWEsq</a> 
Cows don’t have nuts… but I guess this is his worldview outside Phoenix, very narrow minded and ignorant. DC will do that to ya! <a href="https://t.co/TkqOwXKBFm">https://t.co/TkqOwXKBFm</a>
&mdash; Rep. Austin Smith (@azaustinsmith) <a href="https://twitter.com/azaustinsmith/status/1692194548183920676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;If you’re gonna try to trash talk half the people of your state at least get the anatomy about nuts right,&#8221; GOP strategist Andrew Clark added.
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If you’re gonna try to trash talk half the people of your state at least get the anatomy about nuts right. <a href="https://t.co/BWz1RKC4mF">https://t.co/BWz1RKC4mF</a>
&mdash; Andrew Clark (@AndrewHClark) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewHClark/status/1692046319752532154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;And if you’re a democrat you have to have a sex change, mental illness, and drive a Prius with your own nuts hanging in the back. That’s your cultural identity now,&#8221; OutKick host Tomi Lahren <a href="https://twitter.com/TomiLahren/status/1691983626873774483" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot back</a>.
Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, also a Republican, added, &#8220;Look at how @RubenGallego mocks hard-working Arizonans. He thinks we&#8217;re dumb hicks for owning trucks. He wants to take away our 2nd Amendment rights. He&#8217;s weirdly obsessed with testicles. Just call us deplorables &amp; get it over with, Ruben. And stay in the swamp. It suits you.&#8221;
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Look at how <a href="https://twitter.com/RubenGallego?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RubenGallego</a> mocks hard-working Arizonans
He thinks we&#39;re dumb hicks for owning trucks 
He wants to take away our 2nd Amendment rights
He&#39;s weirdly obsessed with testicles
Just call us deplorables &amp; get it over with, Ruben
And stay in the swamp. It suits you. <a href="https://t.co/Ap23z4SPEA">https://t.co/Ap23z4SPEA</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1692036913430245531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gallego could be headed for a tough race in 2024, however, since incumbent Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kyrsten-sinema-gearing-up-for-re-election-bid-as-an-independent-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sinema</a> is likely to remain on the general election ballot as an independent. If Gallego and Sinema split the Democratic vote, they could leave a wide opening for any solid Republican candidate.

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023

Arizona Dem Torched For Bizarre Attempt To Define Republicans: ‘Jacked Up Truck With Some Cow Nuts’

Arizona Dem Torched For Bizarre Attempt To Define Republicans: 'Jacked Up Truck With Some Cow Nuts'

Democrats

Senate

A judge in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arizona" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona</a> rejected the final part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a>&#8216;s legal challenge of her 2022 governor&#8217;s race defeat on Monday.
Lake&#8217;s team failed to show that Maricopa County, which includes the capital of Phoenix and is Arizona&#8217;s most populous county, did not properly perform signature verifications for early ballots, <a href="https://www.clerkofcourt.maricopa.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/5187/638203827030806202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the ruling</a> determined.
The court did not find &#8220;clear and convincing evidence or a preponderance of evidence&#8221; of misconduct in violation of the law and sufficient to overturn the results of the contest, wrote Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson.
Thompson&#8217;s ruling also contained an order that said it was &#8220;confirming&#8221; the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs as the governor.
Lake&#8217;s team <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLakeWarRoom/status/1659665768391528451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued during the trial</a> that signatures were reviewed so quickly — many in less than two or three seconds — that the process could not meet the legal standard. The Republican <a href="https://twitter.com/Garrett_Archer/status/1660832820644782080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may yet appeal the decision</a>. On Twitter, Lake posted <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1660856338400915457" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a GIF</a> saying, &#8220;FIX THIS BROKEN SYSTEM,&#8221; and <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1660851611340529666" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> about a &#8220;big announcement&#8221; on Tuesday.
A former journalist who made election integrity a top priority of her campaign, Lake sued after the results showed that she lost the November contest to Hobbs by roughly 17,000 votes in the governor&#8217;s race. Hobbs was sworn in as governor in early January, and in the months since the November election, media reports have said Lake is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/kari-lake-is-considering-senate-run-making-some-republicans-nervous-85a80081" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mulling a Senate bid</a> and former President Donald Trump is considering her as a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/trump-kari-lake-vice-president-candidates-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible vice presidential running mate</a>.
Lake&#8217;s 2022 election complaint raised allegations of misconduct and illegal votes with issues ranging from mail-in ballots, chain-of-custody, and problematic ballot printers. In March, Arizona&#8217;s Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/arizona-supreme-court-gives-kari-lakes-signature-verification-claim-a-shot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent the last-remaining claim</a> regarding signature verification back to the trial court, where Thompson <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/24/kari-lake-loses-lawsuit-over-her-defeat-in-arizona-governors-race.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously threw out</a> Lake’s challenge.
Maricopa County officials have <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maricopa-county-arizona-officials-apologize-vote-tabulator-problems-say-7-ballots-affected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> issues with the 2022 election but insisted <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2023/02/17/appeals-court-denies-kari-lakes-election-contest-2022-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every valid vote</a> in the contest had been counted.
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&#8220;Wild claims of rigged elections may generate media attention and fundraising pleas, but they do not win court cases,&#8221; Maricopa County Chairman Clint Hickman said in a <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/AZMARIC/bulletins/35c0661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> responding to Thompson&#8217;s ruling on Monday.
&#8220;When &#8216;bombshells&#8217; and &#8216;smoking guns&#8217; are not backed up by facts, they fail in court.  This is justice, and this is what happened today in Kari Lake’s election contest,&#8221; he added.

Judge Dismisses Final Claim In Kari Lake’s 2022 Election Challenge

Judge Dismisses Final Claim In Kari Lake's 2022 Election Challenge

2020 Election

Courts

Election Fraud

Arizona&#8217;s Supreme Court sent part of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kari-lake" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kari Lake</a>&#8216;s appeal of her 2022 governor&#8217;s race defeat back to a trial court for review while refusing to hear the rest of the claims.
The remaining piece of the legal challenge concerns how Maricopa County, which includes the capital of Phoenix and is Arizona&#8217;s most populous county, performed signature verifications for early ballots.
<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremyduda/status/1638706398493306883" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An order</a> from the high court late Wednesday said the superior court and Arizona Court of Appeals made an &#8220;erroneous&#8221; decision to reject the claim because of their focus on election procedures rather than the application of those procedures in last November&#8217;s contest as cited in Lake&#8217;s claim. Lake now faces the challenge of establishing that mail-in votes were affected &#8220;in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome&#8221; of last November&#8217;s election.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My statement on the Arizona Supreme Court ruling in favor of our case ⤵️ <a href="https://t.co/pxo8j0Ubs2">pic.twitter.com/pxo8j0Ubs2</a>
&mdash; Kari Lake (@KariLake) <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1638971176088387584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I am thrilled that the Supreme Court has agreed to give our signature verification evidence the appropriate forum for the evaluation it deserves,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1638971176088387584" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lake said in a statement</a>.
The Arizona Supreme Court order, signed by Chief Justice Robert Brutinel, also called on Lake&#8217;s team to file a reply to the defendants&#8217; motions for sanctions in regard to the assertion of there being &#8220;the undisputed fact that 35,563 unaccounted for ballots were added to the total of ballots at a third party facility.”
The order said the &#8220;record does not reflect&#8221; such a claim and noted the motions of sanctions &#8220;will be considered in due course.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The AZ Supreme Court is refusing to hear 6 of 7 claims brought by <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KariLake</a> regarding her loss to <a href="https://twitter.com/katiehobbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@katiehobbs</a>, and is reminding a 7th, which alleges Maricopa County violated signature verification procedures for early ballots, back to trial court. <a href="https://t.co/bB8K0CQ8ns">pic.twitter.com/bB8K0CQ8ns</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Duda (@jeremyduda) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremyduda/status/1638706398493306883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Lake, a former journalist who made election integrity a top priority of her campaign, sued after the results showed that she lost the November contest to Democrat Katie Hobbs by roughly 17,000 votes in the governor&#8217;s race. Hobbs was sworn in as governor in early January.
Lake&#8217;s 2022 election complaint raised allegations of misconduct and illegal votes with issues ranging from mail-in ballots, chain-of-custody, and problematic ballot printers. Maricopa County officials <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/maricopa-county-arizona-officials-apologize-vote-tabulator-problems-say-7-ballots-affected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acknowledged</a> issues with the election, but insisted <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/2023/02/17/appeals-court-denies-kari-lakes-election-contest-2022-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every valid vote</a> in the contest had been counted.
After Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/24/kari-lake-loses-lawsuit-over-her-defeat-in-arizona-governors-race.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threw out Lake&#8217;s challenge</a>, the appellate rejected the case in February, <a href="https://www.azmirror.com/2023/02/16/kari-lake-loses-election-challenge-appeal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> that voters were &#8220;able to cast their ballots, that votes were counted correctly, and that no other basis justifies setting aside the election results.&#8221;
Throughout, Lake said she would not give in, vowing to take her case to the high court.
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 <a href="https://apnews.com/article/finchem-lawsuit-sanctions-2022-election-arizona-7e7567bdbe90f4c4ab6d4567a128bd0f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Finchem</a>, who ran for attorney general and secretary of state, respectively, also received unfavorable rulings in their legal challenges seeking to challenge their losses.
In the months since the November election, media reports have said Lake is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/kari-lake-is-considering-senate-run-making-some-republicans-nervous-85a80081" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mulling a Senate bid</a> and former President Donald Trump is considering her as a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/07/trump-kari-lake-vice-president-candidates-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possible vice presidential running mate</a>.

Arizona Supreme Court Gives Kari Lake’s Signature Verification Claim A Shot

Arizona Supreme Court Gives Kari Lake's Signature Verification Claim A Shot

2022 Election

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 Midterms

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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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

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;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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.

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