An outgoing Arizona election honcho overseeing voting within the state’s most populous county advised a good friend final 12 months he needed to run for Senate “to make life hell” for Republican candidate Kari Lake, explosive court docket paperwork present.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer’s blistering remarks got here from the transcript of a June 21 deposition in a defamation case he introduced towards the Donald Trump-backed Lake and have been first reported by The Every day Mail.
Richer, who’ll go away the workplace at year-end, is in control of ballots that would determine whether or not the previous TV anchor triumphs in her tight race towards Democrat Ruben Gallego — elevating questions on his skill to run a good election.
Through the deposition, Richer was requested by Lake’s lawyer to evaluate a communication between himself and a good friend named “Ben Blink.”
“Mr Blink says what choices are intriguing you?’ says lawyer William Fischbach.
“And your response if type of a laundry record right here of bullet factors: Get out of politics completely; get out of politics quickly; run for re-election as a Republican; run for re-election as an unbiased; run for mayor if no Kate; after which lastly run for U.S. Senate, simply to fly the flag for actual conservatism and make life hell for Kari.”
Richer confirmed he made the remarks however mentioned he by no means made a severe transfer to launch a Senate run.
“Why would you wish to make life hell for Kari Lake in March of 2023?” asks Fischback.
“I don’t bear in mind,” Richer replies. ‘I don’t assume she’s an actual conservative.”
Lake alleges she misplaced the 2022 governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs due to issues with poll printers at some Maricopa County polling locations, which have been the results of intentional misconduct, and that the county didn’t confirm signatures on mail ballots as required by regulation.
Her authorized challenges to overturn the election end result have failed.
Lake and Richer couldn’t instantly be reached for remark.
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