Arizona judge orders Republican Kari Lake to pay $33K in fees to Democratic Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs

An Arizona judge has ordered Republican Kari Lake to pay $33,000 in legal fees to Democratic Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs after dismissing Lake's bid to overturn the results of the 2022 gubernatorial election. 

Lake filed a notice of appeal Tuesday after Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ordered her to compensate expert witnesses that defended election officials against Lake's claims. Hobbs won the election by about 17,000 votes and had sought additional sanctions against her defeated Republican opponent, but the judge rejected her request. 

"There is no doubt that each side believes firmly in its position with great conviction," Thompson wrote. "The fact that plaintiff [Lake] failed to meet the burden of clear and convincing evidence ... does not equate to a finding that her claims were, or were not, groundless and presented in bad faith."