In a recent development, the Arizona Supreme Court has dismissed a request from Republican Kari Lake regarding her election grievance. It will now fall to a court of appeals to deliberate on the matter. Lake’s lawsuit objects to roughly 1.3 million early ballots from Maricopa County, hoping to investigate the enclosed ballot envelopes in question.
Previously, Lake’s attempts to legally contest her unsuccessful election bid have been twice dismissed. This leads her to focus on a public records lawsuit, centering around absentee ballots. A known supporter of former President Donald Trump, Lake is currently in the running for a Senate seat in the US.
The pivot point of Lake’s initial challenge was ballot printer related issues. However, due to lack of compelling evidence to demonstrate any malicious actions, the presiding judge ruled against this. In her latest lawsuit, she alleges the procedure to vet signatures was significantly defective.
Just last week, a decision from the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals stated that Lake and Mark Finchem, the latter the Republican candidate for secretary of state, failed to deliver reliable proof of their allegation that the use of vote tabulating machines infringed on their constitutional rights. This according to a report provided by Alternet.
The verdict delivered by the three-judge panel stressed Lake and Finchem’s acknowledgement that their plea focused on possible future cyber threats rather than any preceding damage. The panel noted that even if Lake and Finchem were to propose their standing as future voters, they did not establish a distinctive injury as required by Article III.
The panel further clarified, ‘Despite the plaintiffs’ assertions, no credible evidence suggests their individual votes in future elections might be detrimentally influenced by the use of electronic tallying. This holds particularly true considering the stringent safeguards present within Arizona law, the employment of paper ballots, and the preservation of these ballots post-count.’
Mark Finchem’s bid ended in defeat surmounting to over 122,000 votes. In March, Judge Melissa Iyer Julian of the Maricopa County Superior Court admonished him for instigating an unwarranted case. The court found that none of Finchem’s allegations, even if factual, had enough punch to sway the election outcome.
The judge declared, ‘Even accepting Finchem’s accounts as accurate, they couldn’t effectively alter the vote count enough to nullify the 120,000 votes outstanding that would change the result of this election. This lawsuit was unjustified and not initiated in good faith.’
Lake too faced disciplinary action in May for presenting ‘inaccurate factual claims’ in court regarding her defeat to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the race for governor. The court instructed her legal representatives to tender $2,000 after determining she falsely alleged that there were 35,000 votes inaccurately added to the total vote tally in Maricopa County.
Moving forward, Lake has since declared her bid for a U.S. Senate seat currently occupied by former Democrat-now-Independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema. She landed her first major endorsement while kicking off her campaign. This endorsement came from none other than former President Donald Trump.
In a recent statement, Lake’s supporter Barrasso expressed dismay over the challenges faced by Arizonians. These challenges, he attributes to the policies of Joe Biden, which he asserts contribute to an unprecedented inflation surge of 20%, and an immigration crisis, the worst in American history.
Barrasso underscored the imperative for the U.S. Senate to include a Senator from Arizona who truly understands these issues and can strive to remedy them. Lake echoed his sentiments, expressing gratitude for the endorsement and vowing to work alongside Senator Barrasso to steer America back on the right path.
Lake added, she was ‘honoured by the friendship and support.’ She also expressed her admiration for Barrasso as a tried and true conservative leader. She ended her statement expressing her resolve to work with Barrasso to restore America and oust Chuck Schumer.
Lake’s acquisition of Trump’s endorsement during her campaign announcement is noteworthy, and another endorsement from Barrasso is seen as a key milestone. This validation serves to bridge the gap with establishment Republicans and consolidate support for a likely heated race in 2024.
Before securing the endorsements, Lake had met with numerous senators on Washington’s Capitol Hill, inclusive of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In her campaign announcement, she cautiously sidestepped mentioning election fraud. This is noteworthy, given its central theme in her political makeup following her defeat in the Arizona governor’s election in the past year.
