The Arizona Supreme Court has ordered “immediate” proceedings in her case challenging Maricopa County’s signature verification processes for the 2022 election, while denying the defendants’ attorneys’ fees and imposing one sanction.
Katie Hobbs, the then-Democratic Secretary of State, defeated Lake by approximately 17,000 votes in the 2022 Arizona governor’s race, as reported by Just the News. She has filed a lawsuit against Governor Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, and Maricopa County election officials in an effort to invalidate the election results or be declared the victor.
In March, the Arizona Supreme Court reviewed Lake’s lawsuit, remanding one of her seven counts back to the trial court and permitting the contemplation of sanctions against her.
The remanded count related to Lake’s allegation that Maricopa County violated its signature verification policies during the 2022 election, according to the report.
“The signature verification allegation was remanded to the Maricopa County Superior Court, which was waiting on the high court to determine if she must pay sanctions to Hobbs and Fontes regarding her claim of 35,563 unaccounted early ballots being added to Maricopa County’s final tally,” the report said.
Thursday, the state’s highest court granted the defendants’ request for $2,000 in sanctions against Lake’s attorney for “stating ‘the undisputed fact that 35,563 unaccounted for ballots were added to the total number of ballots’ and for repeating such false assertions in an additional filing in this proceeding,” according to the ruling.
However, the justices denied the defendants’ requests for attorney fees as sanctions. The court also ordered “that the trial court immediately conduct such proceedings as are necessary to resolve” the alleged violations of the signature verification process.
Noted polling firm Rasmussen Reports following the high court’s ruling: “Apparently upwards of 300,000 mail ballots in Maricopa County Arizona will now be checked for missing or mismatched signature issues in a race that has captured international attention and is divided by less than 15,000 ‘votes.’ Waiting to see the actual court order.”
Update: Apparently upwards of 300,000 mail ballots in Maricopa County Arizona will now be checked for missing or mismatched signature issues in a race that has captured international attention and is divided by less than 15,000 'votes.'
Waiting to see the actual court order. https://t.co/SSQqhNtScO
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) May 4, 2023
Arizona Supreme Court advances Kari Lake's claims of cheating in the Maricopa County election-Supreme Court appears annoyed that lower court isn't timely in following the Supreme Court orders.#TheGreatAmericaShow https://t.co/pqqnLEjvP9
— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) May 5, 2023
Here's the latest on our court case!
"AZ Supreme Court orders hearing on Kari Lake's signature verification issue, denies attorney fees."https://t.co/lNMWgQp11P
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) May 5, 2023
Fact check: false. Missing context. AZ Supreme Court denied sanctions for the petition noting @KariLake won on key issue. AZ Supreme Court denied sanctions for attorneys fees. AZ Supreme Court required small $2K court fee over use of word "undisputed" in 1 sentence. Very minor. https://t.co/TJGn3CCwhI
— Robert Barnes (@barnes_law) May 4, 2023
Earlier this week, Lake, a former Phoenix newscaster, previewed what’s to come in a series of social media posts and interviews, as rumors of a 2020 U.S. Senate bid grow.
Lake tweeted on Wednesday, “Are you ready for the next chapter?” alongside a photo of her silhouetted against a state flag while performing on stage.
“While Lake’s name has been floated as a vice presidential contender, there are also rumors she could be eyeing a Senate run and is leaning in on raising her national profile,” the Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday. “Much of her popularity comes from her cozy relationship with [former President Donald] Trump, whom she has wholeheartedly supported and unabashedly defended.”
Nonetheless, Lake recently explained on Kimberly Guilfoyle’s Rumble show that she remains concentrated on challenging the outcome of the gubernatorial election.
More on this story via Conservative Brief:
“Once it runs through the courts, then I’ll make my next move, and hopefully, my next move is moving into the governor’s office,” she told Guilfoyle, a former Fox News personality. “But if for some reason it’s so far gone, then I certainly will look at the Senate race.” CONTINUE READING…
