Kari Lake is taking a stand against Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s defamation lawsuit.
Lake filed a motion to dismiss the complaint that was brought against her in June.
This wasn’t an easy decision for her to make, but it’s one she felt necessary in order to protect free speech and criticism of public officials.
In November, there were technical issues at up to 59 percent of polling locations in Maricopa County on Election Day.
The voters who were most impacted by this chaos were Republicans since they outnumbered Democrats 3-to-1 at polling sites that day.
Consequently, GOP candidates like Kari Lake argued that a new election should be held due to these issues.
In December, Katie Hobbs won the trial judge ruling which affirmed Democrats’ win in Maricopa County.
However, the Arizona Supreme Court did remand one issue back to the trial court about whether county officials followed signature verification laws which was ruled as correct by judges.
In response to Richer’s lawsuit against her accusing her of making false statements about him sabotaging an election intentionally, Kari Lake filed a motion on Monday requesting dismissal from the case.
Her attorney Jen Wright stated in regards to Richer’s suit “In 2022, the legislature strengthened laws protecting the rights of citizens to speak freely on matters of public concern.”
She further explained how this lawsuit is precisely what those protections are meant for and believes it will be dismissed by court decision eventually. Additionally, Kari expressed her beliefs that “Richer’s attack on First Amendment would have a chilling effect on Americans’ ability to speak out and criticize public officials,” which is why she has chosen to take action against his lawsuit and fight for free speech protection.
Furthermore, The First Amendment Clinic of Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College also joined in supporting Lake’s motion claiming it would stifle free speech if allowed otherwise.
Today, my legal team, joined by the @ASULawFAC, has filed to dismiss @Stephen_Richer's assault on the First Amendment.
READ my full statement ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/5Xd7HkVtK4
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) August 22, 2023
