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Election denier Mark Finchem sanctioned by Arizona judge for 'groundless' challenge of 2022 defeat
NBC News ^ | March 7, 2023 | Zoë Richards

Posted on 03/07/2023 6:34:54 AM PST by Coronal

A judge on Monday ordered sanctions against Republican Mark Finchem, the losing candidate in Arizona’s secretary of state race who challenged the election results in court.

In granting the sanctions, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Melissa Iyer Julian said Finchem and his attorney, Daniel McCauley III, filed their lawsuit “without substantial justification.”

Finchem lost the election to Democrat Adrian Fontes by 120,208 votes.

Julian in December dismissed Finchem's lawsuit, which requested a new election, alleged that then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs had engaged in misconduct and claimed that illegal votes were cast because of errors in the laboratory testing of voting machines and voting software issues.

After the dismissal, Hobbes joined Fontes in filing a motion for sanctions against Finchem and his lawyer.

Julian’s order Monday asked Fontes and Hobbs, who is now governor, to submit an application for an award of attorney’s fees and statement of costs. The order did not impose additional penalty damages.

The order said that while Arizona courts recommend that sanctions be awarded only in "rare cases" to avoid discouraging legitimate lawsuits, Finchem's election challenge was one of those rarities.

"None of Contestant Finchem’s allegations, even if true, would have changed the vote count enough to overcome the 120,000 votes he needed to affect the result of this election," Julian wrote. "The Court finds that this lawsuit was groundless and not brought in good faith." Julian noted that Finchem withdrew his request to inspect ballots, "suggesting that he had no expectation that an inspection would yield a favorable outcome." Doing so, the judge said, "demonstrates that Finchem challenged his election loss despite knowing that his claims regarding misconduct and procedural irregularities were insufficient under the law to sustain the contest."

Finchem's attorney said Finchem plans to appeal but did not provide additional comment.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: burchcracchiolo; gleefulnevermaga; gleefulnevertrumpers; mafiajudge; melissaiyerjulian; neverconservative; nevermagaglee; nevertrumpglee; theodorejulianjr
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1 posted on 03/07/2023 6:34:54 AM PST by Coronal
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To: Coronal

“Denier”. Alinsky


2 posted on 03/07/2023 6:38:27 AM PST by iamgalt
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To: iamgalt

No wonder. He lost 120,000 votes. He needed significant evidence to overcome that.


3 posted on 03/07/2023 6:40:22 AM PST by napscoordinator (DeSantis is a beast! Florida is the freest state in the country! )
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To: Coronal

So he just got a scolding from the Judge. He does not have to pay any fines or fees? Sweet!


4 posted on 03/07/2023 6:42:31 AM PST by lee martell
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To: Coronal

So, you can be punished for taking LEGAL actions, now?


5 posted on 03/07/2023 6:42:46 AM PST by fwdude (Society has been fully polarized now, and you have to decide on which pole you want to be found.)
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To: Coronal

Is the left still claiming that Trump stole the 2016 election? I haven’t kept up.


6 posted on 03/07/2023 6:43:39 AM PST by fwdude (Society has been fully polarized now, and you have to decide on which pole you want to be found.)
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To: napscoordinator

The courts are a terrible place to overturn elections.

Unless you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that every single vote was stolen you are toast.

It is like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube—total waste of time.


7 posted on 03/07/2023 6:43:48 AM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: Coronal

AZ government is dirty. Bought. Bribed. Threatened.

If the Cartel’s eventually are directly connected (as per recent to the now Governor and several Judges, where will this wind up?

Shadygrooove @shadygrooove (Feb 23, 2023)
https://twitter.com/LibbyTard6/status/1629309615795064837
https://twitter.com/shadygrooove/status/1629003175511605249
EXPLOSIVE testimony today at the Sen. Elections and House O/sight hearings by Jackie Berger
Outlining the most complex investigation into Political corruption in AZ. @katiehobbs and her husband are laundering cartel money through fake deeds and mortgages.
@KariLake

Big view:
https://twitter.com/shadygrooove/status/1629003175511605249/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1629003175511605249&currentTweetUser=shadygrooove


8 posted on 03/07/2023 6:44:14 AM PST by Texas Fossil (Texas is not where you were born but a State of Heart, Mind and Attitude.)
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To: fwdude

Filing a lawsuit is legal.

Filing a frivolous lawsuit is not.


9 posted on 03/07/2023 6:45:09 AM PST by JSM_Liberty
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To: fwdude

The left control everything that can punish the right. The right has very few options open to them to defend themselves with in courts of law these days


10 posted on 03/07/2023 6:46:13 AM PST by Bob434
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To: lee martell

Not quite. From the story:

“Julian’s order Monday asked Fontes and Hobbs, who is now governor, to submit an application for an award of attorney’s fees and statement of costs. The order did not impose additional penalty damages.”


11 posted on 03/07/2023 6:47:04 AM PST by Coronal
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To: cgbg

The rats learned in 18 & 20 that is almost impossible to get court to even delay an election “result” let alone overturn one. So once they have the SOS offices it’s game over. They took every swing state while the GOP looked on like Gomer Pyle and many actually collaborated


12 posted on 03/07/2023 6:50:36 AM PST by iamgalt
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To: Coronal

So he’s still on the hook.


13 posted on 03/07/2023 6:52:06 AM PST by lee martell
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To: lee martell

Yes.


14 posted on 03/07/2023 6:55:46 AM PST by Coronal
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To: lee martell

So he just got a scolding from the Judge. He does not have to pay any fines or fees? Sweet!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

they got the headline they wanted

complete with 3rd party judicial validation


15 posted on 03/07/2023 6:59:24 AM PST by thinden (buckle up ....)
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To: Coronal

We are not going to get any “redresses to our grievances” through the courts.


16 posted on 03/07/2023 7:02:36 AM PST by cld51860 (We’re doomed.)
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To: iamgalt

The Democrats even pull these stunts against each other.

This primary challenger in this local election had rock solid proof of fraud—enough to overturn the election—and at the end of the day the courts still supported the party establishment.

Here is one article that gives the basic facts of the case.

https://ctmirror.org/2019/09/23/records-subpoenaed-in-bridgeport-mayoral-primary/


17 posted on 03/07/2023 7:02:55 AM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: iamgalt

Btw—notice that when Democrats challenge elections they are not “election deniers”.

That title is reserved for Republican challengers.


18 posted on 03/07/2023 7:04:06 AM PST by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: All

Another FR posting from a left wing source.

Sooo happy to generate click revenue for NBC. Why?


19 posted on 03/07/2023 7:10:12 AM PST by Owen
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To: Coronal

Arizona, the future Oregon.


20 posted on 03/07/2023 7:10:27 AM PST by KnutKase (VRWC member since 1988)
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