(CNN) — A key GOP election official in Arizona is suing defeated gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake for defamation, arguing that her repeated false claims of malfeasance in the 2022 election have upended his life.
In the lawsuit, Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer asserts that Lake, her campaign and an affiliated fundraising committee have spread "malicious falsehoods" that have made Richer and his family the targets "threats of violence, and even death."
Richer's civil complaint represents an aggressive step by a fellow Republican to push back on Lake's election claims, which have been rejected by the courts. Lake, a former local television anchor, has gained a loyal following among supporters of former President Donald Trump and is weighing a 2024 US Senate bid.
In his complaint, Richer zeroed in on Lake's accusations – made at rallies and on podcasts and social media – that he intentionally caused printers in Maricopa County to jam on Election Day and inserted 300,000 bogus ballots into the vote count. An independent investigation found that older printers and longer ballots on heavier paper caused glitches at several precincts, but officials have said the problems did not prevent people from voting.
"This case is about a losing candidate for office refusing to accept the will of the voters and, instead, spreading malicious falsehoods to raise money and garner attention," Richer wrote in an op-ed published Thursday in The Arizona Republic, explaining his decision to...
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