Arizona’s Kari Lake has been a dogged pursuer of truth and fairness in the aftermath of her failed gubernatorial bid. For her efforts, she is now staring down the possibility of felony charges for daring to challenge the regime.
Lake recently shared photographs of 16 ballots in an effort to educate the public about the ways signatures did not always match on the ballots and the envelopes in which they arrived. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes is now asking her political rival, newly-installed governor Katie Hobbs, to open an investigation for posting the signatures online.
Sharing the signatures could amount to anything from a campaign violation to felony.
With Lake already making her way through the Arizona court system as she appeals the results of the November 2022 election that saw her lose by just a few thousand votes to the Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs. Hobbs rarely campaigned and never debated Lake, and was always trailing in polls, before emerging as the victor in the tightly-contested race.
Now Lake could find herself on the other side of the court system, this time as a defendant.
The Washington Examiner noted that Lake was both a strong supporter of former president Donald Trump, who in turn supported her.
Lake, who has gotten former President Donald Trump’s stamp of approval, said in a Jan. 23 tweet that 40,000 ballots didn’t match the voter signatures Arizona had on record. Her self-described “bombshell” tweet included a graphic containing 16 signatures.
“I think all ‘Election Deniers’ out there deserve an apology,” she tweeted while sharing images of the questionable ballots.
🚨 BOMBSHELL DISCOVERY 🚨
Today’s Senate Testimony CONFIRMS nearly 40,000 ballots illegally counted (10% of the signatures reviewed).
I think all the “Election Deniers” out there deserve an apology. pic.twitter.com/3g2x5zgd2c
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) January 23, 2023
As part of his petition to Hobbs, Secretary of State Fontes cited a state law which reads that no records containing voter signatures “shall not be accessible or reproduced by any reason other than the voter.” It goes onto note that any such reproduction is classified as a felony.
“It is my responsibility to protect Arizona voters. In keeping with my duties, I have referred this matter to the attorney general,” Fontes told the Washington Post.
The Washington Examiner recounts that Lake’s previous legal issues stemmed from the charge that voting irregularities – machine tabulation, ballot printing issues, and signature verification chief among them – led to her ultimate defeat against Hobbs. She has so far been unsuccessful challenging that loss.
Lake has pointed to alleged voting machine irregularities and printing problems as the reasons for her loss, and she has taken her complaints to court.
In December, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson tossed out the Republican candidate’s lawsuit that claimed voter fraud and election worker misconduct. Lake is seeking to overturn the ruling in Arizona’s Court of Appeals. The case will be heard Wednesday. If that effort fails, Lake has pledged to take her case to the Supreme Court.
In response to her court defeats so far, Lake has remained steadfast in her conviction to see herself named the rightful winner of the November election.
“We cannot have the election stand. The judge should declare me the rightful winner. I am the rightful winner, and we should move on and reclaim our government, our state government,” she said.
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