Report: Kari Lake Settles Defamation Suit By GOP Official

Over the weekend Kari Lake settled an election defamation lawsuit brought by a local Arizona election official.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer (R) sued Lake last year, claiming she defamed him when she refused to concede her 2022 Arizona gubernatorial defeat and alleged fraud in the election.

The details of the settlement are confidential, but two people spoke on the condition of anonymity to The Washington Post.

According to a case document in the Maricopa County Superior Court, an “agreed upon settlement disposition” has been reached by all parties.

In a text message to the Post, Richer said “both sides are satisfied with the result.”

In his suit, Richer claimed Lake consistently and systemically lied about his actions as county recorder, causing him to receive harassment and threats to his life.

Lake ran an unsuccessful bid for Arizona’s senate race. She lost last week to Senator-elect Ruben Gallego, a representative for the state’s third Congressional District.

It was the final Senate race to be called, leaving the Republicans with a 53-47 majority.

The Fox News Power Rankings in September rated the Arizona Senate race as “Leans Democrat.” Similarly, the Cook Political Report, a top political handicapper, also considered the race “Lean Democrat.” 

In polling leading up to the Senate election, Gallego frequently led Lake by single digits. He had even managed to lead his opponent in surveys that saw Trump defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. Experts speculated that his connection with Latino voters could have fueled split-ticket voting in the state, despite the practice becoming relatively rare. 

While Lake often played up her relationship with Trump, who had polled higher than her in the state, Gallego did not often do the same with Harris during his campaign. 

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