An attorney, Stefanie Lambert, facing criminal charges related to the illegal access of Michigan voting machines post the 2020 election, was arrested on Monday following a hearing in a separate case in federal court in Washington, D.C.
Lambert’s arrest by U.S. Marshals came after a hearing concerning potential sanctions against her for sharing confidential emails from Dominion Voting Systems, a company targeted by conspiracy theories surrounding former President Donald Trump’s electoral defeat in 2020.
These emails were obtained by Lambert through her representation of Patrick Byrne, a key financier of election conspiracy theorists who is being sued by Dominion for defamation.
According to a statement from the Marshals office, Lambert was arrested on “local charges.” Earlier this month, a Michigan judge issued a bench warrant for Lambert after she failed to attend a hearing in her case, where she faces four felony charges for unlawfully accessing voting machines in an attempt to uncover evidence supporting a conspiracy theory favoring Trump. Lambert had previously attempted, unsuccessfully, to challenge Trump’s loss in Michigan.
Prior to her arrest, Lambert admitted to passing on Dominion’s records to law enforcement. She appended an affidavit, signed by Dar Leaf, a county sheriff in northern Michigan known for investigating baseless claims of widespread election fraud, to a filing in her own case in Michigan. The remaining documents were posted on a social media platform under Leaf’s name.
In a text message, Byrne expressed uncertainty regarding Lambert’s arrest but stated his respect for her, suggesting a potential increase in her fee for his services.
Lambert argued that the Dominion documents obtained through discovery revealed potential criminal activities and thus needed to be disclosed. Byrne defended Lambert’s actions, stating that she had a duty to report any evidence of wrongdoing to law enforcement, likening it to finding a severed head in a discovery box.
Dominion, in response, filed a motion demanding Lambert’s removal from the Byrne case for violating a protective order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya regarding documents in the case. The company claimed that Lambert’s disclosure had led to renewed threats against its employees, amid persistent conspiracy theories regarding Trump’s electoral loss.
During a hearing on Monday, Judge Upadhyaya indicated plans for a subsequent session to determine appropriate sanctions against Lambert or the possibility of her removal from the case.
Dominion has pursued defamation lawsuits against individuals propagating conspiracy theories implicating its election equipment in Trump’s defeat in 2020. Notably, Fox News settled a prominent case for $787 million last year. Dominion’s lawsuit against Byrne is among several legal actions taken by the company against prominent election deniers, including MyPillow founder Mike Lindell and attorney Sidney Powell.
