(Presidentialwire.com)- Kari Lake, a former Arizona governor candidate, was ordered by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson on Wednesday to pay about $33,000 in costs for some of the fees associated with her unsuccessful lawsuit against Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs and Maricopa County officials. The judge, however, rejected the defendant’s request to punish Lake and her lawyers for their role in a lawsuit that questioned the validity of the election.
Thompson also rejected the defendants’ demand that Lake pays back all of Hobbs’ legal fees associated with the lawsuit. Hobbs and Maricopa County asked the judge to punish Lake for the case, which they claimed was filed in “bad faith,” in a motion that was submitted on Tuesday.
On Christmas Eve, Thompson dismissed Lake’s lawsuit against Maricopa County officials and Hobbs, who had challenged her defeat. Lake has let the court know that she intends to appeal the decision to dismiss.
The fees for witnesses and the cost of paying someone to inspect the ballots are among the taxable costs that Thompson said on Wednesday the winning party in his court is entitled to receive. In this instance, that comes to a little over $33,000.
There is no denying that each side holds a firm conviction for its position, according to Thompson. A finding that the plaintiff’s claims were, or were not, baseless and presented in bad faith does not follow from the fact that she did not meet the burden of clear and convincing evidence required.
Lake, a fervent supporter of Trump, continued his claims of widespread election fraud. Lake had vowed she wouldn’t accept the outcome if she lost the governor’s race. By about 17,000 votes, she did fall short. Her lawsuit was dismissed because it claimed that printer problems and illegal voting, particularly in Phoenix’s populous Maricopa County, cost her the election. However, Thompson’s decision stated that “The Court DOES NOT find clear and convincing evidence of misconduct” to substantiate those claims.
