Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer is set to testify in a lawsuit filed by Kari Lake, a former candidate who lost her bid for office.
The case, which has garnered national attention, revolves around Lake’s request to inspect mail-in ballot signatures from the 2022 election, alleging fraud.
Richer, who will be on the witness stand, has expressed his commitment to defending voter privacy and election security.
He emphasizes this is a public records case, not an election case. Lake previously filed an election contest and lost at every level — trial court, court of appeals, and Arizona Supreme Court.
.@katiehobbs was provided a private security guard by a liberal dark money group during her "campaign" for governor.
She never reported this in-kind donation to the FEC.
She just gave the man a $115,000 salary & a cabinet position.
This is a cut-and-dry violation of campaign…
— Kari Lake War Room (@KariLakeWarRoom) September 21, 2023
Lake’s request involves making all early ballot envelopes — including the voter’s name, address, phone number, and signature — public.
This move is unprecedented, as no county in Arizona has ever done this since early voting was introduced in the state in 1992.
Richer stands firm in his belief these envelopes are not public records, according to state statute. Making them public could potentially discourage voting, weaken early voting security controls, and open the door to voter harassment.
The case, titled “Lake v. Richer,” is scheduled for trial on Thursday, September 21, and Monday, September 25.
Richer, with the support of MCAO and several private attorneys, is confident of a favorable outcome, given his office’s track record of not losing any election-related litigation since he took office.
However, Lake’s team argues her request falls under the exemption of “election purposes” as per ARS 16-168(F), which allows certain entities access to voter registration records. They assure they do not seek to publicize this information.
Spent the day with an American Icon & the Queen of Comedy.
@therealroseanne, America loves you!❤️🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/VVaSmMIaxe
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) September 16, 2023
A recent ruling in a separate Yavapai County Court case confirmed Maricopa County had been incorrectly defining “voter registration record” and unlawfully verifying mail-in ballot signatures.
This ruling could potentially impact Lake’s lawsuit, as it requires only voter registration forms to be used for signature verification.
As the trial unfolds, all eyes are on Stephen Richer, who will testify on the stand at trial and attempt to prevent Lake from accessing evidence of a fraudulent election. The outcome of this case could set a precedent for future disputes over election transparency and voter privacy.
