Kari Lake has reportedly been ordered to hand over documents that pertain to defamatory statements and other evidence to show that she lied about claims made against Stephen Richer, the Maricopa County Recorder, and after the default judgement against her. 

Lake made public claims that Richer (also a Republican) “intentionally” made changes to ballot printers that resulted in Election Day printing problems because he wanted “to sabotage the 2022 general election.” 

She reportedly made false assertions on podcasts and in other public interviews and statements. 

Lake also claimed that Richer was responsible for 300,000 “illegal, invalid, phony or bogus” early ballots being counted in Maricopa County. 

The discovery process that Lake is reportedly stalling would unveil just how many of these claims were disseminated and the various people involved along with any possible financial incentive for doing so.

In much the same manner that Lake is known across the state for her vocal election denier status and numerous election fraud claims including her own loss to Governor Katie Hobbs resulting in a number of lawsuits filed by her (unsuccessful, so far) Lake has said that her statements about Richer were true even though she conceded in a default judgment in March. 

The default judgement means that Lake essentially told the court that the statements made about Richer were false, and conceded through the default judgement that the statements were untrue.  

To date, the default judgment is still in the discovery phase—discovery will determine monetary damages made to Richer.  But Richer’s attorneys have not been able to get Lake to hand over a long list of documents and communications that would substantiate the false and defamatory claims by the defendant. 

After months of stalling, a judge has for a second time, ordered Kari Lake and her husband to hand over documents to Stephen Richer that refer to defamatory statements about the Maricopa County Recorder. 

Two members of the Valley legal community, unrelated to the Lake case, told Northeast Valley News that in certain litigation, “A stall in a lawsuit could be used as a tactic to simply buy time.” 

Some Lake opponents speculate that the she is stalling due to material that may come out in  discovery and before the Nov. 6 election where she is the Republican candidate for US senate. 

“Lake continues to use the Arizona courts to get away with deception while she runs for office,” says Virgina Holt, a Phoenix resident and an “anyone but Lake” Arizona voter registered as  unaffiliated (Independent).

In addition, Lake’s personal wealth may be considered to help determine punitive damages in the suit. 

Though Lake effectively conceded, the case is not over. 

A jury will later determine how much she owes Richer in terms of damages — he is seeking millions — as well as the removal of Lake’s defamatory social-media posts. 

A substantial judgment against Lake could harm her candidacy for a highly competitive seat that could determine who controls the Senate. 

“Lake’s continued stonewalling is indefensible,” Daniel Maynard, an attorney for Richer, wrote to the court on Aug. 2. “While Lake is free to file yet another meritless (appeal), she may not simply defy the Court’s order because she disagrees with it.”

Over the next few months, Lake and the other defendants in the case are expected to produce documents and give depositions, with a trial to determine how much Richer is owed in damages, expected to happen sometime in 2025, with a pre-trial conference set for February.