Attorney Representing Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne Arrested After Court Hearing
A lawyer representing Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne in a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems was arrested after a status hearing in Washington, D.C., where she acknowledged in court disseminating confidential documents from the voting machine company to law enforcement. Stefanie Lambert, the attorney in question, is also facing criminal charges in Michigan for allegedly tampering with voting machines. Lambert’s arrest was confirmed by the U.S. Marshals following an arrest warrant issued by a judge in Michigan for failing to show up for a hearing on March 7.
The judge in Michigan had issued an arrest warrant for Lambert, charging her with being a fugitive from justice. Police in Michigan stated that Lambert’s absence at the hearing was the reason for the warrant, but declined to provide further details. Lambert’s lawyer, Dan Hartman, attempted to have the warrant withdrawn by citing communication issues with her former attorney as the cause of her absence.
Lambert was at the center of a status hearing in the civil case brought forth by Dominion against former President Donald Trump‘s allies, including Byrne, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell, Sidney Powell, and right-wing network OAN. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants spread false conspiracy theories claiming that Dominion had manipulated the 2020 presidential election results in favor of Joe Biden. During the hearing, Lambert expressed her concerns over fraud and criminal activity and emphasized the importance of investigations by Congress and law enforcement.
Lawyers for Dominion accused Lambert and Byrne of using confidential documents from the lawsuit to spread lies and cause harm. One of Dominion’s attorneys mentioned that some of the classified documents were shared with law enforcement officials who then posted confidential Dominion emails on social media. Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya reprimanded Lambert for sharing confidential documents without seeking to challenge their designation beforehand.
The hearing concluded with Judge Upadhyaya ordering the documents to be filed under seal and temporarily blocking Lambert’s access to the online repository where they were stored. Byrne was also instructed to appear at the next hearing. Dominion’s legal battles against media outlets continue, with Fox News settling a defamation suit for $787.5 million and a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Newsmax scheduled for trial in late September 2024. Newsmax, like Fox News, has faced legal challenges over its reporting on the 2020 election.
Original Story at abcnews.go.com – 2024-03-19 17:33:18
