Category: The West

Private Americans Patrol the Smuggler-Blighted Border Badlands of Arizona

RealClearWire

As blazing sunlight ebbs to a star-studded sky along the U.S.-Mexico border, members of the Arizona Border Recon group peer through field glasses at a trio of men on the southern side in camouflage fatigues and carrying pistols and AK-47s.

The men, almost certainly members of Sinaloa cartel factions, are using their own binoculars to scan random gaps in a roughly 30-foot-high wall of thick metal bars that stretches for miles along a flatland carved by arroyos and dotted with rocks, saguaro cactus and high grasses. At times, a solo gunshot echoes on the Mexican side, a sound the AZBR knows from experience is a signal to people to start moving north.

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Officials Discover Two Drug Tunnels at the Border

Admin

Mexican authorities discovered two drug tunnels along the border with the U.S. in recent days, according to Border Report.

The location of the tunnels was in Tijuana, which is just across the border from San Diego, California, according to Border Report. One of the tunnels was still under construction, but 45 feet from the U.S. border.

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Border: 205,000 Apprehensions, Gotaways in February as Gotaways Increase in West

The Center Square

More than 205,000 foreign nationals were apprehended or reported as gotaways after illegally entering the southwest border in February, according to preliminary data obtained by The Center Square from a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent. The agent provided the information on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation; it only includes Border Patrol data and excludes Office of Field Operations data.

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Tie House GOP Energy Production Agenda to Debt Limit, Budget Negotiations, Urges Montana Lawmaker

Just the News

Montana Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale told Just the News that an effort is underway to connect legislation the GOP-led House passed dealing with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to a legislative package that raises the debt limit.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is locked in negotiations with the White House over a deal that increases the debt limit. He’s pushing for spending reductions in exchange for the GOP-led House voting to raise the debt ceiling.

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Meta to Reinstate Trump’s Facebook, Instagram Accounts

Just the News

Social media giant Meta announced Wednesday that it would reinstate former President Donald Trump’s accounts on both Facebook and Instagram. The former president was suspended from both platforms in the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2022, Capitol Riot. Other social media platforms such as Twitter acted likewise, prompting Trump to create Truth Social, a digital platform similar to Twitter that practiced looser content moderation than its competitors.

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General Motors Funds Transgender Programs in Elementary Schools

Admin

General Motors (GM) gave a grant to an organization that supplies elementary schools with books promoting the transgender ideology.

The automotive manufacturing company donated money to the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) “Rainbow Library Program,” according to a 2021 Social Impact Report published by GM.

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American Catholic Leaders Celebrate Life of Pope Benedict, ‘Defender of Truth’ Who Taught Above All Else ‘God Is Love’

Susan Berry, PhD

American Catholic leaders are acclaiming the life and work of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whose scholarly writings emphasized the unity of faith and reason and, most fundamentally, the primary truth of the Catholic faith, which teaches God is Love.

Benedict, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, died Saturday at the age of 95. He became pope in April 2005, following the death of Pope John Paul II, and served until his resignation in February 2013.

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Kari Lake Appeals Dismissal of Arizona Election Lawsuit

Just the News

Kari Lake, the Arizona Republican nominee for governor, is appealing a Maricopa County judge’s dismissal of her lawsuit challenging her defeat to Democrat Katie Hobbs, who is currently serving as secretary of state. 

In a notice of appeal filed Tuesday, Lake asked the Arizona Superior Court to reconsider all 10 counts that she brought up in her original lawsuit as well as the attorneys’ fees she was ordered to pay.

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Kari Lake Says Appeal Coming Following Dismissal from Superior Court Judge

Neil Jones

Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake had her election challenge completely dismissed by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson Saturday. Following the ruling, Lake tweeted that an appeal would be coming.

“My Election Case provided the world with evidence that proves our elections are run outside of the law. This Judge did not rule in our favor. However, for the sake of restoring faith and honesty in our elections, I will appeal his ruling,” tweeted Lake.

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Day Two of Kari Lake Election Challenge Trial Sees More Witnesses, Closing Arguments from Both Sides

Neil Jones

The court battle challenging the validity of the certified outcome of Arizona’s 2022 gubernatorial election entered its second day Thursday under Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson, with attorneys for Republican Kari Lake, Democrat Katie Hobbs, and Maricopa County presenting their final arguments in the trial. Lake seeks to…

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Day One of Kari Lake Election Contest Trial Sees Testimony from Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Election Integrity Expert Heather Honey

Neil Jones

The first of two days of oral arguments from Arizona’s Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake’s challenge of the 2022 general election outcome began Wednesday morning, overseen by Judge Peter Thompson in the Maricopa County Superior Court. Testimonies were heard from several officials and experts.

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Judge Rules Kari Lake Election Contest Will Go to Trial

Michael Patrick Leahy

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ruled late Monday that Kari Lake’s election contest lawsuit will go to trial on Wednesday.

The judge’s ruling came hours after attorneys for the defendants–Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors–and the plaintiff, GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, delivered oral arguments in court on both sides of the defendants’ motion to dismiss all ten counts set forward in Lake’s 70 page lawsuit.

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Zuckerbucks-Backed Group Back in Wisconsin

Georgia Star News Staff

The liberal voting activist group that dumped $350 million of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s money on local election offices during the 2020 presidential election is back again with another $80 million to give over the next five years.

And Wisconsin once again will be front and center in the Center for Tech and Civic Life’s “generosity.”

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Leahy on Arizona 2022 Election Results: The Only Opinion That Matters is the Judge’s

Julie Carr

Host Stephen K. Bannon welcomed The Star News Network’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Arizona Sun-Times, Michael Patrick Leahy, Sunday to War Room: Battleground to discuss Arizona’s Gubernatorial candidates Kari Lake’s contest to the certified election result in Arizona.

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Kari Lake Lawsuit Exposes Election Process Complexities in Maricopa County, Reliance on Third-Party Vendor

Laura Baigert

A lawsuit filed Friday by Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake contesting the results in the November 8, 2022, election in Maricopa County exposes, among other things, the complexities of the process for mail-in and drop-box ballots and the county’s reliance on a third-party vendor for essential election functions.

The 70-page complaint filed by Lake named Democratic gubernatorial opponent Katie Hobbs who is the Secretary of State of Arizona who certified the election in her favor on December 5, as well as Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer as an officer in charge of elections, Maricopa County Director of Elections for Election Day and Emergency Voting Scott Jarrett and the five members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

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Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls for Federal Investigation Over Emails from Arizona Sec State Hobbs to Twitter

Eric Burk

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) wants a federal investigation in Arizona where Kari Lake is disputing results of the gubernatorial election against Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, whose office reports preliminary results that Hobbs has won 50.3 percent to 49.6 percent. Greene’s call was also a reaction to a post of emails showing that Hobbs’ office reported misinformation tweets to Twitter on January 7, 2021.

“The SOS of AZ and Gov candidate, Katie Hobbs, used the power of the AZ SOS to collude w/ Twitter to unconstitutionally violate 1st Amendment rights of Americans for her own political gain. This is communism and Hobbs can not be governor. I’m calling for a Federal investigation,” Greene tweeted Sunday morning.

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Court Vacates Contempt Order Against Catherine Englebrecht and Gregg Phillips

Neil Jones

The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of Texas-based True the Votes’ Catherine Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips by vacating a contempt order filed against them by a district court.

“Catherine and Gregg offer their profound gratitude to the Fifth Circuit’s vindication and are committed more strongly than ever to defending the integrity of American elections,” according to a statement from True the Vote.

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Arizona AG Opens Inquiry into Maricopa County Election Irregularities, Possible Legal Violations

Just the News

The Arizona attorney general’s office has opened an inquiry into Maricopa County’s handling of the mid-term elections, demanding a full report of well-publicized irregularities and warning there is evidence of “statutory violations.”

The letter from Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s election integrity unit marks a major escalation in the dispute over how voters were treated on Election Day in the state’s largest county, where scores of ballot tabulators had problems because of printing problems.

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Oregon Voters Pass Measure That Creates ‘Database’ of Gun Owners

Georgia Star News Staff

Oregon voters on Wednesday passed Ballot Measure 114, one of the most restrictive gun control measures in the country.

The ballot measure passed 51% to 49%, with 77% reporting, according to the Oregonian. Though the results were close with just over three-fourths of the vote tallied, the remaining counties of Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas all heavily favor the measure.

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Kari Lake’s Campaign Headquarters Receives Package with ‘Suspicious White Powder’ in Mail: ‘We’re in Dangerous Times’

Susan Berry, PhD

Arizona Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake reacted to her campaign headquarters receiving a package containing a “suspicious white powder” in the mail by vowing to uncover the responsible party.

“We’re in dangerous times,” Lake said Sunday, according to Fox News.

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Democratic Senator’s Wife Counsels ‘Strategic Ways’ to ‘Quietly’ Defund Police Without Backlash

Just the News

Susan Daggett, an attorney and wife of Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, said in a video obtained by Just the News that there is a way to “quietly” defund police by reallocating funds and she hopes President Biden doesn’t run for reelection in 2024.

Daggett, law professor at the University of Denver’s Sturm College of Law, was asked if President Biden should run for reelection in the undercover video, released by the media watchdog group Accuracy in Media.

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Montana to Vote on Referendum That Protects Infants Who Survive Abortions

Zachery Schmidt

A pro-life referendum takes center stage in Montana as state residents are set to decide whether to give additional legal protections to babies who survive abortions.

Montana LR-131, also known as the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, says that infants born alive after an abortion are legal persons and that healthcare providers must take “necessary actions to preserve the life of a born-alive infant.” These “necessary actions” include “the right to appropriate and reasonable medical care and treatment.”

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Project Veritas: Arizona Democrat Katie Hobbs’ Twin Sister Reveals Democrat Plan to Promote ‘Extreme’ Trump Candidates

Susan Berry, PhD

An undercover exposé by Project Veritas Action (PV) revealed Arizona Democrat gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ twin sister’s boast of a Democrat Party plan to fund the primaries of “extreme Trump-endorsed candidates” to secure their nominations, with the apparent presumption they would then lose against the Democrat candidates.

Becky Hobbs is heard saying in the video, published Monday, the Democrat Party “was putting money in primaries” to boost “extreme Trump-endorsed candidates,” to ensure their nominations in the Republican Party.

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Trump Strongly Hints He May Run for President Again at Arizona Rally for MAGA Candidates

Rachel Alexander

Former president Donald Trump held a Save America rally in Mesa, Arizona on Sunday afternoon to support the MAGA slate of candidates he’s endorsed in the state and to talk about the attacks he’s under. He dropped multiple hints at Mesa’s Legacy Sports Park that he may be running for president again in 2024.

Trump said, “We’ll be making a decision soon. I think everyone is going to be really happy.” He added later during the event that he got more votes in 2020 “than any sitting president in history. Now we may just have to do it again. Stay tuned.”

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In Nevada, Trump Makes Clarion Call to End ‘Growing Tyranny’ of Censorship

Admin

Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to fight creeping censorship, saying efforts to silence dissent and deploy law enforcement against opponents were pushing America to a “tipping point.”

At a rally Saturday night in Minden, Nevada, Trump urged Republicans to turn out in November in large numbers and support the GOP slate that includes Senate nominee Adam Laxalt and gubernatorial nominee Joe Lombardo. Both are leading in the latest polls.

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Eastern Washington Legislators Urge Biden to Lift Vaccine Mandate for Border Travel

The Center Square

Two U.S. Representatives from Eastern Washington have signed onto a letter that urges the Biden Administration to drop all vaccine requirements for people entering the United States from Canada.

Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, and Dan Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, say the decision to send the letter follows Canada lifting vaccine mandates for international travelers entering the country despite Biden’s refusal to follow suit.

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Counties in Georgia, Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and More Flooded with Requests for 2020 Election Records as Mandatory Preservation Window Expires

Just the News

With the recent expiration of the federally mandated 2-year window for preservation of 2020 presidential election records, counties across the country have been inundated with public records requests from Americans concerned about election integrity.

During his “Moment of Truth Summit” last month spotlighting 2020 presidential election irregularities, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell exhorted “every single person in the country” to ask for cast vote records from the election from their local county clerk’s office. His website links to the Ordros Analytics, Inc., website, which provides templates of public records requests for cast vote records.

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The Morning Ritual with Garret Lewis: Kari Lake on ‘Soul of the Nation’ Speech,” Grassroots Politicians’ ‘Existential Threat’ to Dems’ Agenda

Julie Carr

Friday morning on The Morning Ritual with Garret Lewis, host Lewis welcomed GOP nominee for Governor of Arizona, Kari Lake to the show to comment upon Joe Biden’s Soul of the Nation prime time speech.

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Georgia Among the 20 States Freed from Federal Transgender Sports, Bathroom Guidance

The Center Square

A federal judge in Tennessee ruled in favor of Tennessee, Georgia, and 18 other states in their effort to block federal guidelines on transgender athletes and school locker rooms.

The lawsuit, brought by Tennessee, challenged guidance from the United States Department of Education and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that would allow athletes who were marked as males on their birth certificates to compete in girls and women’s sports. The federal guidance also would have prohibited student shower and locker room access from being determined by birth gender and provided guidance on required pronoun use.

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Virginia National Guard Officer: Why I Requested My Religious Exemption from COVID-19 Vax Mandate

Neil W. McCabe

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Chief Warrant Officer 3 Fianna Litvok, a military intelligence technician in the Virginia Army National Guard, about her request for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate exemption, as well as how the mandate is affecting morale in the guard.

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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey Signs Most Expansive School Choice Program in Nation

Susan Berry, PhD

Governor Doug Ducey (R) said Thursday Arizona is now the “top state for school choice” and the “first state in the nation to offer all families” school choice options.

Ducey signed into law House Bill 2853, which allows all K-12 students in Arizona to be eligible for scholarship funds so they may access the education setting that best fits their needs.

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100-Year-Old World War II Veteran Cries, ‘Our Country’s Going to Hell!’

Susan Berry, PhD

U.S. Marine Carl Spurlin Dekel, who turned 100 years old on June 29, mourned the decline of America in a Fox 13 News interview, tearfully lamenting, “Our country’s going to hell!”

“People don’t realize what they have,” Dekel said. “They bitch about it. And, then, nowadays, I am so upset that the things we did, things we fought for, and the boys that died for it, it’s all going down the drain.”

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Arizona ACLU Sues to Block ‘Personhood’ Abortion Law After Roe Is Overturned

Susan Berry, PhD

The Arizona affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a motion Saturday that seeks to block the state’s “personhood” law which, they argue, could make all abortions illegal in the state.

The abortion rights groups filed an emergency motion one day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, returning decisions about abortion to the states.

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Protests Rage Nationwide after Roe Reversal, Arizona Lawmakers Say ‘Insurrection’ Thwarted by Police

Georgia Star News Staff

Protests erupted across America Friday night as abortion rights activists objected to the Supreme Court’s reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision, creating a particularly tense stand-off in Arizona’s Capitol where lawmakers reported being trapped by an angry mob that had to be dispersed with tear gas.

“We are currently there being held hostage inside the Senate building due to members of the public trying to breach our security,” Arizona state Sen. Kelly Townsend tweeted Friday night. “We smell teargas and the children of one of the members are in the office sobbing with fear.”

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Hoffman on Arizona: ‘We Are a Much Redder State than People Give Us Credit For’

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Republican state Rep. Jake Hoffman (AZ-12), the founder of the Arizona Freedom Caucus in the state’s House of Representatives, about the state of play for conservatives in the Copper State.

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Hoffman: Ducey Is Blocking My Anti-Grooming in Schools Bill

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political director of The Star News Network, interviewed GOP state Rep. Jake Hoffman (AZ-12), the founder of the Arizona Freedom Caucus and a candidate for state Senate, about his bill to prevent teachers from sexualizing instruction and grooming students into non-mainstream lifestyles.

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Blake Masters: ‘Political Hack’ Mark Brnovich Wanted Trump to Lose in 2020 for AG’s Personal Political Gain

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Arizona GOP Senate hopeful Blake Masters about his primary opponent Attorney General Mark Brnovich’s failure to pursue evidence of election misconduct in the 2020 election.

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Blake Masters: Everyone Is Asking Me Why We Are Sending $40 Billion to Ukraine

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed the former president of Thiel Capital and Arizona GOP Senate hopeful Blake Masters about what voters are telling him and why he is running to replace Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly.

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Arizona U.S. Senate Hopeful Jim Lamon: I Will Shut Down Senate Until Border Fixed

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national editor of The Star News Network, covered the Sun City, Arizona, town hall hosted by Republican Senate hopeful Jim Lemon, with his special guest Thomas Homan, who was President Donald J. Trump’s acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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U.S. Senate Hopeful Lamon: I Would Not Have Voted to Certify Arizona’s Electors Jan. 6, 2021

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, interviewed Arizona GOP Senate hopeful Jim Lamon after his town hall with supporters in Sun City. Lamon told TSNN he would not have voted to certify Arizona’s electors Jan. 6, 2021.

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Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Hopeful Kari Lake Vows to Defend Parents, Kids Against Leftwing Teachers

Julie Carr

Neil W. McCabe, the national political editor of The Star News Network, covered Arizona GOP gubernatorial hopeful Kari Lake’s May 12, 2022, in front of the statehouse in Phoenix, where Lake unveiled her education policy.

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Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Primary Leader Kari Lake Denounces Georgia RINOs, Lauds Dinesh D’Souza’s 2020 Election Ballot-Trafficking Film 2000 Mules

Addison Basurto

Former Phoenix news anchor and mother of two, Kari Lake, gave high praise to filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza’s documentary film, “2000 Mules”, which highlights the ballot-stuffing operations that occurred across multiples states during the 2020 presidential election.

“We just saw Dinesh D’Souza’s movie. It’s outrageous. It’s called 2000 Mules. I think every man and woman in this country should see it,” Lake declared Friday at a campaign stop to support David Perdue’s run against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp at the Appalachian Gun & Range.

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Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake Vows to Shoot Mexican Drug Cartel Drones, Blow Up Drug Tunnels with ‘Defend Arizona’ Plan

Addison Basurto

Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake told The Georgia Star News she plans to secure the southern border of the United States with her “Defend Arizona” policy, which includes the destruction of drug tunnels and surveillance drones used by Mexican drug cartels. The Republican frontrunner traveled to Georgia on Thursday to support David Perdue in his bid to upset incumbent governor Brian Kemp.

“When we discover drug tunnels, we’re going to blow them up. We’re not just going to pour a little bit of cement in where they can easily jackhammer that out and start running drugs again,” Lake said.

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Arizona Gubernatorial Frontrunner Kari Lake Says She Has Confidence in Senate President Karen Fann to Complete Election Audit

Addison Basurto

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake told The Georgia Star News Friday she maintains confidence in Arizona Senate President Karen Fann, despite some doubts in her ability to adequately complete the 2020 election audit.

“I do have confidence in Karen,” Lake told The Star News. “I’ve seen a few things that have made me pause a bit, but don’t forget, she’s the one who got things going.”

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