Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs (D) and Maricopa County have requested a courtroom to factor sanctions in opposition to Kari Lake, the Republican who misplaced to Hobbs ultimate month and refuses to simply accept the election effects.
The request Hobbs filed within the Maricopa County Awesome Court docket on Monday comes two days after it dominated in opposition to Lake’s effort to opposite the election effects, announcing there’s no “transparent and convincing proof” of malfeasance that may have impacted the end result of the state’s gubernatorial race.
Now, Hobbs and county officers are inquiring for that Lake and her criminal crew be ordered to pay $25,050 to hide one of the vital legal professional charges Hobbs and the county incurred on account of Lake’s lawsuit. The request notes that ahead of a unmarried vote used to be counted, Lake “publicly said that she would settle for the result of the gubernatorial election provided that she had been the successful candidate.” She made excellent on that promise, the submitting says, and dragged Hobbs and the county right into a “frivolous pursuit.”
Lake’s lawsuit used to be a whole misuse of the state’s judicial device, the submitting argued.
“Courts are established by way of Arizona’s Charter and statutes to get to the bottom of exact disputes between events,” the plaintiffs wrote. “They don’t exist in order that applicants for political place of work can try to make political statements and fundraise. And so they will have to now not be used to annoy political fighters and sow utterly unfounded doubts in regards to the integrity of elections. All of the ones issues came about on this subject.”
Regardless that Hobbs is solely days clear of being sworn in, Lake has nonetheless now not conceded the election ― which she misplaced by way of greater than 17,000 votes ― and says she plans to enchantment the most recent ruling in opposition to her.
“My Election Case equipped the arena with proof that proves our elections are run out of doors of the legislation,” she tweeted on Christmas Eve. “This Pass judgement on didn’t rule in our want. On the other hand, for the sake of restoring religion and honesty in our elections, I will be able to enchantment his ruling.”
Lake’s legal professional didn’t right away go back requests for remark.