PHOENIX (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a request by Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake to ban the use of electronic vote-counting machines in Arizona.
Lake and former Republican secretary of state candidate Mark Finchem filed suit two years ago, repeating unfounded allegations about the security of machines that count votes. They relied in part on testimony from Donald Trump supporters who led a discredited review of the election in Maricopa County, including Doug Logan, the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, who oversaw the effort described by supporters as a “forensic audit.”
U.S. District Judge John Tuchi in Phoenix ruled that Lake and Finchem lacked standing to sue because they failed to show any realistic likelihood of harm. He later sanctioned their attorneys for bringing a claim based on frivolous information.
When the lawsuit was initially filed in 2022, Lake was a candidate for governor and Finchem was running for secretary of state. They made baseless election fraud claims a centerpiece of their campaigns. Both went on to lose to Democrats and challenged the outcomes in court.
Lake is now the GOP front-runner for the U.S. Senate in Arizona, where she has at times tried to reach out to establishment Republicans turned off by her focus on making fraud claims about past elections. Finchem is running for state Senate.
Lawyers for Lake and Finchem had argued that hand counts are the most efficient method for totaling election results. Election administrators testified that hand counting dozens of races on millions of ballots would require an extraordinary amount of time, space and manpower, and would be less accurate.
The Supreme Court's decision not to take the vote-counting case marks the end of the road for the effort to require a hand count of ballots. No justices dissented when the court denied their request.
Meanwhile, Lake declined to defend herself in a defamation lawsuit against her by a top Maricopa County election official. She had accused county Recorder Stephen Richer, a fellow Republican, of rigging the 2022 gubernatorial election against her.
FILE - Republican Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 24, 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, April 22, declined to consider a request by Lake to ban the use of electronic vote-counting machines in Arizona. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — Lukas Reichel made his season debut for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night after he was a healthy scratch for the team's opening four-game trip.
Reichel skated for 8 1/2 minutes during Chicago's 4-2 victory over San Jose in its home opener. He centered the team's fourth line in his 100th career game, playing alongside veteran forwards Pat Maroon and Craig Smith.
Coach Luke Richardson said he thought Reichel made some good plays.
“I thought he was, you know, hard in the face-off circle," Richardson said. "He blocked a shot in the third period, and he was really showing initiative to take hard strides out there, whether it was tracking back, which helps our (defense), or on the offense and on the forecheck. So it was a good start for him.”
Chicago also placed Alec Martinez on injured reserve before its victory over the Sharks. Fellow defenseman Isaak Phillips was recalled from Rockford of the AHL.
The 37-year-old Martinez, who skated in each of the team's first four games, has a right groin injury. He agreed to a $4 million, one-year contract with the Blackhawks in free agency.
“I think a groin strain is what they listed it as,” Richardson said. “It’s been kind of nagging for a while, and then last game, just kind of reaggravated it a bit. So we have to just give him time.”
Richardson had no update on goaltender Laurent Brossoit and defenseman Artyom Levshunov. Brossoit had meniscus surgery on his right knee on Aug. 27. Levshunov, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NHL draft, is coming back from a right foot injury.
“Both of them are just not ready to join the team in practice yet, but have been on the ice,” Richardson said, “and will be back on the ice after a day or two off. I think they've been going pretty hard, and that's all I know there.”
The 22-year-old Reichel was a first-round pick in the 2020 entry draft, but he has struggled with inconsistency since his NHL debut almost three years ago. He re-signed with the Blackhawks in May, finalizing a two-year contract.
If Reichel's lackluster production continues this season and Chicago decides it wants to send him back to the minors, it would have to expose him to waivers.
It looked as if Reichel had turned a corner when he had four goals and four assists in his last eight games with Chicago during the 2022-23 season. He appeared in a career-high 65 games last year, but he only managed five goals and 11 assists.
Reichel said it was tough sitting out at the beginning of this season.
“You know you want to play every game, but what I learned from last year, you got to stay positive,” he said after the team's morning skate. “Everyone knows that I want to go out there and compete and play with the boys, but all you can do in that moment, you just got to focus (on) what you can control.”
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Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel walks the red carpet before the Blackhawks' home opener NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Chicago Blackhawks left wing Lukas Reichel warms up before an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
