By Corinne Murdock |
Secretary of State Adrian Fontes attempted to build up his fundraising campaign email list by dissing gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and her “MAGA fascist” supporters.
In an email last month, the secretary asked for his supporters to not only pressure the Arizona Supreme Court to reject Lake’s lawsuit, but to impose punishments on her and her supporters.
“We need you to make your voice heard and tell the Arizona Supreme Court that MAGA fascists must be held accountable for their election denying lies,” stated Fontes. “We’re demanding that Lake’s last lawsuit be dismissed and her legal team sanctioned for wasting the resources of the Arizona legal system.”
The body of the email is reproduced below in full:
Kari Lake just doesn’t know when to quit. We’ve already seen her attempts to overturn the 2022 election fall flat, but now Kari Lake is approaching her last legal option. She’s appealed her election case to the Arizona Supreme Court, and if they refuse her appeal, she’ll have no legal recourse left.
Even though the facts and case precedent are on our side, we can’t leave our democracy to chance. We need you to make your voice heard and tell the Arizona Supreme Court that MAGA fascists must be held accountable for their election denying lies.
We’re demanding that Lake’s last lawsuit be dismissed and her legal team sanctioned for wasting the resources of the Arizona legal system. Our democracy has stood strong, and with Lake’s last defeat on the horizon, we can finally shut the door on the 2022 election and look forward to Arizona’s future.
Can we count on you to sign our petition urging the Supreme Court to dismiss and sanction Lake for her frivolous election lawsuits? A strong rejection of these election lies is essential for the health of Arizona’s democracy. Stand with us and make your voice heard by signing the petition today.
Critics of the call to action were quick to point out that the only way to “petition” the court would have been to file an amicus brief ahead of last week’s deadline.
The referenced case, Lake v. Hobbs, is pending a ruling from the Arizona Supreme Court. Lake asked the court to expedite the hearing in January, ahead of Hobbs’ swearing in, but the court rejected her request. Lake asked the court, again, to expedite the hearing earlier this month; the court accepted. The Arizona Supreme Court granted review of the case late last month on one of the seven issues, concerning Maricopa County’s signature verification process.
In his most recent response opposing Lake’s lawsuit, Fontes asked the court for Lake to be punished.
“This [lawsuit] justifies the imposition of sanctions, or some kind of admonishment, so others will not follow suit,” stated the response. “If this Court sits silent in the face of what has occurred, then those who would due [sic] our union harm will continue to malign and erode the foundations upon which our great state stands.”
Fontes has persisted in issuing jabs against Lake and her supporters amid the ongoing lawsuit. Earlier this month in an interview with MSNBC, several days after the Arizona Supreme Court accepted Lake’s motion to expedite review, the secretary pretended to not know Lake.
“Who are you talking about? I don’t know of anybody of relevance in Arizona named Kari Lake,” asked Fontes.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
