Díaz and Boas: 2 different takes on Stephen Richer's lawsuit against Kari Lake

By Lauren Gilger
Published: Monday, June 26, 2023 - 11:28am
Updated: Monday, June 26, 2023 - 2:33pm

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Stephen Richer Kari Lake
Gage Skidmore/CC BY 2.0
Stephen Richer (left) and Kari Lake.

Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer took a big step late last week, announcing in an op-ed in the Arizona Republic, that he was filing a defamation lawsuit against failed GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake. 

Apparently fed up with being called a criminal, Richer said, “Slinging mud is fair game, but Arizona law and the First Amendment draw the line at defamation.” He wrote he’s asking a court to clear his name, order Lake to retract her defamatory statements against him, and pay him for damages.

For seven months, Lake has attacked Richer and election workers in the state, claiming he rigged the election with no proof. As an added note, Richer is a lifelong Republican.

To discuss different takes on this move from Richer, The Show spoke with Elvia Díaz, editorial page editor for the Republic, and columnist Phil Boas.

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