Kari Lake Reaches Defamation Deal with Maricopa County’s Stephen Richer

After a lengthy legal battle, Kari Lake has reached a settlement with Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer in a defamation lawsuit. This case stemmed from Lake’s allegations that Richer played a role in stealing the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election from her.

Lake, a prominent Republican figure and supporter of former President Donald Trump, has been a vocal proponent of unfounded claims regarding election integrity. Her accusations against Richer mirrored her previous claims about losing to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the 2022 governor’s race.

Details of the settlement remain confidential. The Washington Post first reported the agreement, and it was corroborated by the Arizona Mirror.

According to Richer’s legal team, “The matter has been settled and was resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.” Richer sought damages to cover the costs incurred for security measures after alleged threats and harassment due to Lake’s statements.

He also pursued punitive damages and compensation for harm to his reputation. Richer’s claims included a request for Lake to acknowledge the falsity of her accusations. Elected as county recorder in 2020, Richer subsequently lost his reelection bid in the July Republican primary.

News of this settlement emerged shortly after Lake’s ambiguous stance on conceding to Democratic U.S. Congressman Ruben Gallego in the recent Senate race, where he won by over 79,000 votes. Notably, she has yet to formally concede her earlier gubernatorial loss.

Richer initiated the defamation suit in June 2023, following Lake’s prolonged and unfounded assertions accusing him of manipulating election outcomes. Among her baseless claims was the assertion that Richer was responsible for the counting of 300,000 fraudulent early ballots in Maricopa County. Despite her extensive legal challenges post-election, all attempts to overturn the results were unsuccessful.

In December, Lake’s attorneys sought to dismiss the case, arguing that her statements fell under “rhetorical hyperbole.” However, the judge allowed the case to proceed. By March, Lake had defaulted in the case, legally admitting her claims against Richer were untrue, despite publicly continuing to assert otherwise on various conservative platforms.

The settlement followed months of protracted evidence disputes between the two parties. Lake, who expressed initial eagerness to confront Richer in court, had been routinely uncooperative in providing necessary documentation. She claimed that all emails relevant to the lawsuit were “purged” following her campaign’s dissolution. Conflicting statements were made regarding the timeline of her campaign’s financial activities, which continued long after Richer filed his lawsuit.

As the deadline for submitting sworn statements approached, tensions around the case intensified. Additional complications arose when an attorney for Lake’s husband attempted to dismiss the case, suggesting that Richer failed to comply with court orders regarding evidence. Allegations of evidence destruction were also made, centering on Richer’s deactivation of his social media account after the election; however, he had reactivated it shortly thereafter.

No comment was provided by a spokesperson for Lake’s Senate campaign at this time.