Kari Lake filed a bar complaint against Katie Hobbs’ attorney, Alexis Danneman of Perkins Coie, on Monday over “false statements” Danneman may have made regarding Lake’s announcement that she was running for U.S. Senate. Danneman, who is representing Hobbs in Lake’s lawsuit challenging Hobbs’ gubernatorial win over Lake, sent Lake’s attorneys an email last week stating that she had violated the state’s resign to run laws and must drop her election challenge.
Lake’s bar complaint alleged that Danneman violated the Arizona Bar’s Ethical Rule 4.1, which states “in the course of representing a lenient a lawyer shall not knowingly… make a false statement of material fact or law to a third person.” Lake said in a press release, “Danneman’s email contained false statements of the law and was nothing more than a legal shakedown tactic.”
Lake expressed her skepticism in the complaint that the Arizona Bar would act on it.
“The State Bar has a reputation for being quick to target Republican attorneys while treating Democrat attorneys with kid gloves,” Lake said.
Multiple Republican election attorneys are currently under investigation by the Arizona Bar, including Lake’s attorneys, while complaints filed against activist Democratic attorneys usually end up quickly dismissed.
Lake said, “I clearly spell out the truth about Danneman’s lies and her unethical attempt to intimidate me from pursuing my appeal involving her client.”
Danneman accused Lake of violating A.R.S. 38-296 and A.R.S. 38-296.01. The first statute states that an incumbent “shall be deemed to have offered himself for nomination or election to a salaried local, state or federal office on the filing of a nomination paper.” It clarifies that an incumbent “is not deemed to have offered himself for nomination or election to an office by making a formal declaration of candidacy for an office.”
Danneman’s letter said, “Please advise whether you intend to withdraw your appeal in light of Ms. Lake’s campaign for U.S. Senate.”
Lake explained in her letter to the Arizona Bar that she has not filed a nomination paper; she has only formally declared her intent to run, which doesn’t violate the resign to run statutes. She pointed out that she can’t even file the nomination paper until March 9, 2024, at the earliest, citing A.R.S. 16-311(A). That statute prohibits candidates from filing their nomination paper until 150 days before a primary election.
Lake reviewed the other parts of the statutes and explained why they did not apply to her. The election for the governor’s office was not held on the same date as the U.S. Senate election, and she is not trying to be elected to two federal offices simultaneously or two state or local offices simultaneously.
Lake pointed out that Perkins Coie is known as the “Democratic law firm,” representing the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Danneman previously clerked for Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Michael Daly Hawkins, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, and worked as an intern for former Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI).
Danneman stated that “Lake’s contest rests of rank speculation and a cynical mistrust of Arizona’s election officials.”
Danneman similarly said the same thing about Abe Hamadeh during oral arguments where he requested a retrial of his election lawsuit over the attorney general’s race based on new evidence that had been withheld by Hobbs. Representing Attorney General Kris Mayes, Danneman declared that there was “no proof” and “no evidence” provided by Hamadeh. She claimed it was “unprecedented relief” to allow his team to look at ballots. She said the statutes don’t allow for new trials in election contests. She claimed that Hamadeh only speculated that examining the ballots would change the race results, characterizing his position as saying the inspection would “probably change the results.”
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Rachel Alexander is a reporter at The Arizona Sun Times and The Star News Network. Follow Rachel on Twitter / X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kari Lake” by Kari Lake.
