Kari Lake’s Latest Lawsuit

Arizona Republican Kari Lake is back in the news again, with reports swirling that she’s expected to announce a run for Senate next month. It’s been a minute since she was firmly planted in the national spotlight, having transformed from local news anchor to Trump-obsessed 2022 gubernatorial candidate. So what has Lake been up to since she lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs and completely refused to concede defeat?

Still disputing her 2022 loss …

This month, Lake appeared in court for a two-day bench trial related to a public records lawsuit she filed—and was denied. She has petitioned to see and review 1.3 million early ballot envelopes from the 2022 race, with voter signatures in Arizona’s Maricopa County, ostensibly to see how the county runs its elections operations. Maricopa County election officials argue that state law mandates the signatures of voters on those envelopes remain confidential. This is the third lawsuit Lake has filed that is somehow challenging Hobbs’ win; the other two failed. Lake never conceded in her 2022 gubernatorial race—instead, she took a page out of Trump’s playbook and claimed the election was broken, botched, and a sham. (Lake’s claims of voter fraud in Arizona’s 2022 election have been thoroughly debunked, with one election spokesperson calling them “textbook disinformation.”)

Making the podcast rounds …

Steve Bannon, the former Trump adviser who was charged with being in contempt of Congress last year, has had Lake on his War Room podcast from time to time since her loss. She has talked about many things, but her strangest story, perhaps, has been about confronting MSNBC anchors Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski during a chance run-in at the West Balm Beach Airport. She recalled telling the TV couple: “I just wanted to introduce myself, because you guys spend an awful lot of time bad-mouthing me on your show, and I just wanted to put the human being behind the face that you guys kind of go after.” (Lake also tweeted about the encounter, writing that Brzezinski called her a “liar” and “delusional.”)

This week, The Roseanne Barr Podcast also released an episode with Lake where she questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 election again (shocker!). In the episode’s description, Lake is described as “the rightful governor of Arizona” and “one of the most free-spoken fiercest defenders of America.” (Barr was already right-wing when she was fired from her sitcom in 2018 after posting a racist tweet, but she has only spiraled into more and more hard-line viewpoints.)

Attending the Super Bowl …

Lake was spotted sitting through the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” performance at Arizona’s State Farm Stadium during Super Bowl 57. This was a social media scandal (although perhaps not unexpected) because the song was adopted by the NFL in 2020 in the midst of the protests following George Floyd’s murder. The song is often described as the Black national anthem; others around Lake stood while it was sung, as is custom for any national anthem. (Lake and her team obviously played up the moment on social media, as they are wont to do.)

Stumping …

Lake has been spotted in Iowa a few times. Once was in February 2023, when she held a town hall event and reiterated her debunked claims that the 2020 election was stolen, from both her and from Trump. She even went on to describe the importance of losing with dignity. “You shake the other person’s hand and walk away,” she said—but, she added, “I didn’t lose, so I’m not doing that.”

She visited Iowa again in April, joining a prayer breakfast where she claimed that “globalists” are out to steal the 2024 election. She urged Iowans to ask 2024 presidential candidates, as they visit the state, about their stance on the supposed threat of election fraud and about her own loss in Arizona’s governor’s race.

Fundraising …

In September, Lake attended a private fundraising event in Utah for Trent Staggs, mayor of Riverton, who is running for outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney’s seat. Attendees were able to get one-on-one time with Lake, with tickets to the event costing between $250 and $9,900.

Lake also attended a fundraising dinner in Florida alongside Rep. Byron Donalds, courtesy of the St. Johns County Republican Executive Committee. She’s also scheduled to make an appearance in Michigan at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference as a featured speaker.

Reportedly spending a lot of time at Mar-a-Lago …

An anonymous source told People magazine that Lake has been spotted numerous times at Trump’s Florida resort, spending more time with the former president than even his wife, Melania. The source went so far as to say Lake has a suite at the resort that “she practically lives in.” But Lake’s team has pushed back on that story. Her senior adviser told People that she “does have the honor of being invited to speak at the beautiful Mar-a-Lago,” but that she “overnights at Hilton properties in Palm Beach with her loving husband of 25 years.”

It’s rumored that Lake is one of four women on Trump’s shortlist for vice president. (She certainly showed her support at his Miami arraignment!) But who even knows if her devotion to Trump will do her any good. In July, two Trump advisers told the Daily Beast that the big man might be souring on her, saying Lake is “a shameless, ruthless demagogue who wants power and will do whatever she has to do to get it.”