Kari Lake files appeal notice after judge rejects her election lawsuit

PHOENIX — Arizona Republican Kari Lake isn’t giving up the court battle to overturn her electoral loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the governor’s race.

Lake filed a notice of appeal Tuesday afternoon in her case challenging the results of the Nov. 8 general election.

After a two-day trial last week, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled Saturday that Lake’s legal team failed to prove that her loss to Hobbs by more than 17,000 votes was caused by misconduct that affected the outcome.

Lake has been claiming that problems with ballot printers at some Maricopa County polling places on Election Day were the result of intentional misconduct. She’s been asking the court to either declare her the winner or order a revote in Maricopa County.

Her appeal notice says she’ll seek an emergency transfer from the Court of Appeals to the state Supreme Court.

The former TV news anchor aims to overturn Thompson’s case ruling and monetary award to the defendants, as well as the judge’s decision to dismiss parts of her initial lawsuit before the trial.

Thompson declined to impose sanctions against Lake and her lawyers, saying in a ruling Tuesday that their failure to prove her case didn’t “equate to a finding that her claims were, or were not, groundless and presented in bad faith.”

Thompson ruled Tuesday that the plaintiff is responsible for about $33,000 of the defendants’ “taxable costs” under state law, including expert witness fees.

Lawyers for Maricopa County and Hobbs, representing her in her roles as both the outgoing secretary of state and governor-elect, had requested about $695,000 in attorney fees and other legal costs, arguing that Lake’s lawsuit was frivolous.

Hobbs is set to take office Jan. 2.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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