Alan Dershowitz, other lawyers for Kari Lake and Mark Finchem ordered to pay sanctions
Jul 15, 2023, 11:38 AM | Updated: 7:01 pm
(Brandon Bell, Getty Images, right, AP Photo, Ross D. Franklin, right)
(Brandon Bell, Getty Images, right, AP Photo, Ross D. Franklin, right)
PHOENIX — Lawyers for Kari Lake and Mark Finchem who filed a lawsuit attempting to ban the use of voting machines prior to the November 2022 election and were found to have “acted at least recklessly,” were ordered to pay $122,000, according to a ruling Friday by Arizona U.S. District Court Judge John Tuchi.
The ruling establishes the monetary award amount to sanctions ordered in December by Tuchi and covers legal costs accrued by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The ruling also specifically addressed legal arguments put forth by noted attorney Alan Dershowitz, who claimed he was not subject to the sanctions.
Lawyers Andrew D. Parker, his law firm, Parker Daniels Kibort LLC, and Kurt B. Olsen and his law firm, Olsen Law PC, were ordered by Tuchi to pay about $110,000. Dershowitz’ share of the sanctions was capped at $12,200, Tuchi wrote in his decision.
The crux of Dershowitz’ arguments as to why he should not be sanctioned is that he was not truly a member of the attorney team but rather served more as a consultant.
Tuchi said in his decision, however, that since Lake and others promoted Dershowitrz as a basis for the validity of their claims as well as that he signed the filings, he shares in the responsibility.
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“Mr. Dershowitz signed these documents and thereby certified they were adequately supported. In this sense, his conduct was both intentional and, ultimately, detrimental,” Tuchi wrote.
Unless an appeal is filed, Tuchi’s order requires payment within 30 days.
The Arizona Republic reported Dershowitz would appeal the ruling.
The Lake and Finchem lawsuit which resulted in the sanction’s monetary award Friday was based upon the repeated allegations about the security of machines that count votes.
Attorneys relied in part on testimony from Donald Trump supporters who led a discredited review of the election in Maricopa County, including Doug Logan, the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, who oversaw the effort described by supporters as a “forensic audit.”
Maricopa County filed a motion in July 2022 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, asserting the lawsuit’s claims were “demonstrably false” and asked to sanction the candidates over it.
Lake lost the gubernatorial race to Katie Hobbs and Finchem lost to Adrian Fontes for secretary of state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
