Following a hearing concerning potential sanctions for disclosing confidential emails from Dominion Voting Systems, Stefanie Lambert, an attorney facing legal action for unlawfully accessing Michigan voting machines post-2020 election, was arrested by US Marshals. This arrest occurred in Washington, DC, after Lambert represented Patrick Byrne, a major supporter of election conspiracy theories, who is being sued by Dominion for defamation. Lambert, in possession of Dominion's emails obtained through Byrne, passed them to law enforcement. She then included some leaked emails in an affidavit signed by Dar Leaf, a Michigan county sheriff known for investigating unfounded claims of election fraud, in her Michigan case filing. The remainder of the documents were posted to an account purportedly belonging to Leaf on a social platform.
The US Marshals stated Lambert was arrested on "local charges," and a Michigan judge had issued a bench warrant for her earlier for missing a hearing in her case. Lambert faces felony charges in Michigan for accessing voting machines in pursuit of conspiracy theories against Trump. Although she had previously sued to contest Trump’s loss in Michigan, Lambert contended that the Dominion documents obtained through discovery indicated "crimes" and must be disclosed.
However, Dominion filed a motion to disqualify Lambert from the Byrne case, alleging she violated a protective order by disclosing documents, which sparked renewed threats against the company. Dominion emphasized Lambert's actions as a disregard for court orders and the safety of its employees. U.S. District Court Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya scheduled a subsequent hearing to determine appropriate sanctions against Lambert or her removal from the case.
Dominion has pursued defamation lawsuits against individuals, including prominent election deniers like Mike Lindell and Sidney Powell, blaming its election equipment for Trump’s loss in 2020. Fox News settled a significant defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion for $787 million.
