London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 29, 2026

Federal Judge in Arizona Dismisses Third Limb of Sidney Powell's Post-Election 'Kraken,' Which Was 'Sorely Wanting of Relevant or Reliable Evidence'

Federal Judge in Arizona Dismisses Third Limb of Sidney Powell's Post-Election 'Kraken,' Which Was 'Sorely Wanting of Relevant or Reliable Evidence'

A federal judge dismissed Powell's effort to overturn Arizona's presidential election. “Allegations that find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo cannot be a substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court,” the judge.

Sidney Powell’s post-election “Kraken” is now nearly limbless.

Leaving only one of her post-election lawsuits standing, a federal judge on Tuesday dismissed Powell’s effort to overturn Arizona’s presidential election. The decision marks the third wholesale rejection of Powell’s conspiracy theories by federal courts across the nation, and the fourth judge skewered her pending lawsuit for a cascade of procedural errors.

“By any measure, the relief Plaintiffs seek is extraordinary. If granted, millions of Arizonans who exercised their individual right to vote in the 2020 General Election would be utterly disenfranchised. Such a request should then be accompanied by clear and conclusive facts to support the alleged ‘egregious range of conduct in Maricopa County and other Arizona counties . . . at the direction of Arizona state election officials,” U.S. District Judge Diane Joyce Humetewa began. “Yet the Complaint’s allegations are sorely wanting of relevant or reliable evidence, and Plaintiffs’ invocation of this Court’s limited jurisdiction is severely strained. Therefore, for the reasons stated herein, the Complaint shall be dismissed.”

The judge said she was left with “no alternative but to dismiss this matter in its entirety” because “gossip and innuendo” don’t cut it in court.

“Not only have Plaintiffs failed to provide the Court with factual support for their extraordinary claims, but they have wholly failed to establish that they have standing for the Court to consider them. Allegations that find favor in the public sphere of gossip and innuendo cannot be a substitute for earnest pleadings and procedure in federal court,” the judge concluded. “They most certainly cannot be the basis for upending Arizona’s 2020 General Election.”

During the hearing, Humetewa grilled Julia Haller, a lawyer at Powell’s firm, about the factual basis for her massive conspiracy theory involving Dominion Voting Systems, an alleged plot involving offshore servers and sinister algorithms.

“What declaration points to that significant tampering with the tally?” Humetewa asked.

Haller pointed to “Exhibit 13,” a declaration by an anonymous witness whose identity they refuse to disclose to the public. Another declaration uses a confidential witness code-named “Spyder.”

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’s counsel Justin Nelson contextualized the case as a part of a national campaign of delegitimization: “After the election, however, this country has seen a proliferation of suits that seek to challenge the results.”

Powell’s latest defeat follows a two humiliating losses hours apart on Monday, in Michigan and Georgia.

In the Wolverine State, U.S. District Judge Linda Parker called Powell’s quest an affront to the democratic idea.

“The right to vote is among the most sacred rights of our democracy and, in turn, uniquely defines us as Americans,” Parker’s 36-page opinion stated. “The struggle to achieve the right to vote is one that has been both hard fought and cherished throughout our country’s history. Local, state, and federal elections give voice to this right through the ballot. And elections that count each vote celebrate and secure this cherished right.”

“The People have spoken,” Parker added later in the opinion, referring to the election.

In the Peach State, U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, an appointee of George W. Bush, also slammed the request as breathtaking.

“The relief that the plaintiffs seek, this court cannot grant,” Batten ruled from the bench after a roughly hour-long hearing, wherein he called the bid “the most extraordinary relief ever sought” for an election in a court.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump says Israel ‘would not survive’ without US
France Evacuates Atlantic Coast Resorts as Wildfire Risk Rises Again
Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Kumamoto as Rescuers Search Collapsed Buildings
OpenAI Faces Demands for Full Disclosure After Models Breach Hugging Face
Nvidia Reportedly Takes Vast Texas Data-Centre Lease to Underwrite AI Expansion
Royal Collection Trust Income Falls as Palace Visits Retreat From Record Highs
FIFA’s Private-Investment Plan for World Cup Rights Draws European Revolt
Ministers Examine Social-Care Levy as Burnham Seeks Funding Settlement
UK Attractions Sector Forecast to Add £587 Million in Visitor Spending
England Coast Path Extends With New Suffolk Estuary Walking Route
Attorney General Wins Longer Jail Term for Fatal Dangerous Driving Case
Andrew and Tristan Tate Remain in U.S. Custody Pending UK Extradition
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Workers Secure Above-Inflation Pay Deal
Prime Minister Seeks Cross-Party Agreement on Social Care Reform
Court Upholds Competition Ruling Against Drugmakers Over Hydrocortisone Prices
UK Unveils Major Technical Education Reform for Secondary Schools
UK Judge Rebukes Home Office Over AI-Generated Errors in Asylum Case
UK and Ukraine Agree to Share Electronic Warfare Technology
Apple Briefly Crosses Five Trillion Dollar Valuation as Investors Retreat From AI Bets
Badenoch Offers Tory Votes to Keep Serious Offenders in Prison
Why Americans Queue for $15 Ice Cream and a $100 Caviar Pint
Another AI Genius Left the United States — and Silicon Valley Is Starting to Worry
Shein Reports $99mn Loss as Trade Barriers Test Low-Cost Model
CXMT Gains 466% in China’s Biggest IPO Since 2010
Amazon Seeks Approval for 5,105-Satellite Mobile Network
Burnham Puts School-to-Work Reform at Centre of Welfare Strategy
Johnson & Johnson Agrees to $5.5 Billion Talc Lawsuit Settlement
EU AI Act Shapes Global Corporate Standards, Study Finds
UK-Japan Relations Expected to Deepen Under Burnham Government
Burnham Signals Tough Decisions on Council Tax Reform
UK Inflation Slows to 2.6% in June
Bank of England Holds Interest Rates at 3.75%
Prime Minister Burnham Opens Talks With Business Leaders on Economic Growth
Government Launches 'Number Ten North' to Drive UK Devolution
Labour Regains Poll Lead After Burnham's First Weeks in Office
Prime Minister Burnham Rules Out Early UK General Election Before 2029
Burnham Rules Out Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty
Fresh Heatwave Threatens to Rekindle France’s Historic Wildfire Crisis
The Burnham government is seeking to establish its credibility through ambitious social care reform while maintaining fiscal discipline and public confidence in the National Health Service. Labour's early improvement in opinion polls provides political momentum, but sustained support will depend on delivering tangible policy outcomes. Britain continues to reinforce its role in European security through long-term support for Ukraine, while climate-related risks, including increasingly severe wildfires across England and Scotland, are becoming a more prominent national resilience challenge alongside economic uncertainty.
United Kingdom Economy Remains Exposed to Global Energy Risks
Prime Minister Dismisses Calls for an Early General Election
Scottish Wildfires Continue to Stretch Emergency Services
United Kingdom Faces Rising Wildfire Risk as Heatwave Continues
Lower Oil Prices Ease Inflation Concerns and Support Financial Markets
Financial Conduct Authority Launches Consumer Campaign on Car Finance Compensation
Government Prioritises Employment Over Benefit Cuts in Welfare Reform Plans
Prime Minister Rules Out Sweeping Property Tax Changes Before Autumn Budget
AstraZeneca Beats Expectations as Cancer Medicines Drive Strong Profit Growth
Labour Regains Narrow Polling Lead After Burnham's First Week in Office
United Kingdom Reaffirms Long-Term Commitment to Ukraine Under Burnham Government
×