Supreme Court Rejects Kari Lake’s Election Fraud Lawsuit

The Supreme Court declined to hear Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake’s lawsuit challenging electronic voting machines in the state, a case she pursued after her loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race, alleging fraud without evidence. Lake’s appeal was rejected without comment, upholding a previous decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Lake filed the lawsuit alongside Mark Finchem, who also lost his race for secretary of state in the same election, seeking to ban the use of Dominion Voting Systems’ electronic tabulation machines. However, the Supreme Court’s decision leaves the 9th Circuit’s ruling intact.

Lake’s legal efforts were dismissed by District Court Judge John Tuchi in August 2022, and the dismissal was upheld by the 9th Circuit in October of the same year. The lawsuit was criticized as “frivolous” and based on “hypothetical contingencies.”

Despite the rejection, Lake’s attorneys argued that Dominion machines had a “built-in security breach enabling malicious actors to take control of elections,” echoing disputed claims made in right-wing media after the 2020 presidential election. The 9th Circuit countered these arguments, detailing Arizona’s voting process, which involves marking votes on paper ballots that are then fed into electronic machines, with the paper ballots retained for recounts and audits.

Lake’s lawsuit sought Supreme Court intervention similar to the court’s involvement in the 2000 presidential election, where it halted a Florida recount due to concerns about vote tabulation on paper ballots. However, the 9th Circuit found no merit in Lake’s claims, stating that Arizona’s voting procedures safeguard against the issues raised by Lake’s legal team.

Lake, a Trump ally, has been vocal in alleging voter fraud and falsely claiming victory in the 2022 gubernatorial race. She and Finchem conceded that no Dominion voting machines were hacked in Arizona elections but argued that the machines’ security flaws could threaten future elections. The 9th Circuit dismissed these claims as “speculative.”

It’s worth noting that Dominion Voting Systems sued several right-wing networks and personalities for defamation, leading to a settlement with Fox News for $787.5 million in April 2023.

Looking ahead, both Lake and Finchem are running for office again in 2024. Lake, a close ally of former President Trump, is seeking the Senate seat vacated by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, running against Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego. Finchem, a member of the far-right Oath Keepers militia, is running for a state senate seat in Prescott, Arizona.