A defamation lawsuit filed by Maricopa County reporter Stephen Richer against Arizona Republican Lake Karithat lasted more than a year, has been settled, a lawyer representing Lake confirmed Newsweek Sunday by email.

Richer said in a text message Sunday that “both sides are pleased with the outcome,” according to him The Washington Post.

“Details of the deal are confidential, according to two people familiar with the terms, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a private settlement,” the paper reported Sunday.

Richer, a Republican elected as recorder for Arizona’s largest county in 2020, has been outspoken about denying the election. He filed a lawsuit alleging that Lake, her 2022 Arizona gubernatorial campaign and an affiliated nonprofit group repeatedly and falsely accused him of actions that contributed to Lake’s election loss.

In 2022, Lake ran unsuccessfully for governor of Arizona, losing by over 17,000 votes to her Democratic opponent. Katie Hobbs. The former television news anchor refused to concede her loss and has since been embroiled in several court challenges over the election.

She is also a vocal supporter of the president-elect Donald Trumphis false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him through widespread voter fraud, even though there is no evidence. Meanwhile, some of her supporters have resurfaced claims of electoral fraud following her 2024 US Senate loss for the Representative Ruben Gallego.

Newsweek reached Richer and Richer’s attorney, Daniel Maynard, for comment by email Sunday evening.

Richer’s defamation case was filed after Lake repeatedly claimed that Richer and others improperly printed the 2022 ballots “so the tabulators would jam all day.” There is no evidence that Richer did this.

Richer’s attorney wrote in the original complaint, filed on June 22, 2023, “Since the November 2022 election, the defendants have repeatedly and falsely accused Richer of causing Lake’s election loss, including alleging that Richer — a registered Republican — sabotaged the election to prevent Republican candidates, including Lake, from winning.”

The case sought to remedy Lake’s public comments against Richer after her 2022 loss. In March, Richer said because of the actions of Lake and her co-defendants, “my family and I have faced an endless wave of of threats – including execution requests – I have lost close personal relationships and irreparably damaged my reputation. “

In March, Lake did not defend his comments against Richer in court, instead asking the court to proceed to a default hearing to decide whether damages are owed to Richer and, if so, how much.

The nonprofit group Protect Democracy, which filed the suit on Richer’s behalf, said in a statement shortly after that the default judgment plea meant Lake and his co-defendants “effectively admit they acted with ‘actual malice.’ when they spread lies about mr. . Richer.”

In July, Richer’s re-election campaign ended after he lost the GOP primary to Arizona state representative Justin Heap, a candidate backed by Lake.