Arizona Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs demands legal sanctions against Kari Lake for election lawsuit

Maricopa County official claims Republican is using election lawsuit to fundraise off meritless lawsuit challenging election.
Arizona Democratic gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs speaks to supporters at an election night watch party at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on November 08, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The incoming Democratic governor of Arizona filed legal papers in Maricopa County's Superior Court of Arizona seeking sanctions against her Republican rival Kari Lake and Lake's lawyers for making false claims about a stolen election in the state's most populous county in her lawsuit alleging election fraud.

"She has not simply failed to publicly acknowledge the election results," Katie Hobbs wrote in the filing, according to the Washington Examiner. Lake has "filed a groundless, seventy-page election contest lawsuit against the governor-elect, the secretary of state, and Maricopa County and several of its elected officials and employees," what Hobbs termed a "frivolous pursuit."

Maricopa County Deputy Attorney Thomas Liddy said Lake was fundraising off her false claims about election fraud and using the courts to "harass political opponents and sow completely unfounded doubts about the integrity of elections," the Examiner reported.

"While Katie Hobbs and Marc Elias continue their crusade to destroy free and fair elections in Arizona, my team and I will continue to move forward with our case showing overwhelming evidence of misconduct in the general election," Kari Lake said in a statement to Just the News. 

Katie Hobbs has not responded for comment.