Kari Lake channels Trump and Alex Jones, turns defamation loss into a win

As soon as Kari Lake threw in the towel in the defamation lawsuit she’s facing from Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, she started her victory dance.

It begins by playing the victim.

Lake’s decision means she will not contest the allegations made by Richer that she lied about him, something she was all blustery and in-your-face about for months and months.

Richer and his family were threatened by wackos who were instigated by Lake’s unfounded conspiracy claims, which she claimed was her free speech right.

Now, she’s admitting it wasn’t. She’s admitting it was Richer telling the truth, not her.

Kari Lake is now playing the victim

Only to the saps who still want to believe her, she’s playing the victim, saying after her decision, “By participating in this lawsuit, it would only serve to legitimize this perversion of our legal system and allow bad actors to interfere in our upcoming election.”

This is, of course, complete BS.

On the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Richer posted, “Won’t defend / can’t defend. I’ll get my due. But not the millions of people she lied to.”

But, will Richer get his due?

Lake is taking a page out of her Dear Leader’s handbook.

Jones and Trump haven't paid a dime

Donald Trump was hit by a civil jury with $5 million in damages after it found Trump liable for sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll.

A second jury nailed him with an $83.3 million judgement in Carroll’s subsequent defamation lawsuit.

So far, Trump hasn’t paid a dime. Instead, he’s played the victim and used the judgement to grift off his gullible cult.

The same is true of the vile conspiracy theorist and talk show guru Alex Jones.

Sandy Hook parents deserve all of Alex Jones's money

His lies about the massacre of children at Sandy Hook led to almost $1.5 billion in judgments against him, but he also hasn’t paid a dime, using the verdict to convince the dupes who listen to him that he is the victim.

Now, he is offering the real victims of his lies pennies on the dollar in a settlement.

There is something wrong with a system that works this way.

In a courtroom, Stephen Richer won. E. Jean Carrol won. The families of the Sandy Hook victims won.

But everywhere else …

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

For more opinions content, please subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kari Lake defamation lawsuit shows how she mimics Trump, Alex Jones