Kari Lake has triumphed in the political scandal that shook Arizona’s GOP establishment.
On Wednesday, Arizona GOP Chairman Jeff DeWit (RINO) announced that he will resign from his position, following the release of a leaked audio recording.
The recording captured a conversation between DeWit and Lake, where he can be heard attempting to bribe her to temporarily step back from politics. This revelation brought to light an apparent effort by certain Republican elites to influence the political landscape, particularly in the upcoming Senate race involving Lake in Arizona.
In the recorded conversation, DeWit mentioned that “very powerful people” wanted Lake to step back, suggesting a financial arrangement to facilitate it. Lake flatly rejected the proposition, emphasizing, “This is not about money. This is about our country.”
“I’m with Trump, okay? I want to work for the betterment of Arizona. I’m not going to let these people back in D.C. tell me not to run.”
Listen:
In his statement, DeWit used the opportunity to attack Lake and portray himself as the victim, alleging that she “cannot be trusted to engage in private and confidential conversations.” He then whined about being in an “unpaid role that demands the amount of time of roughly two full time jobs.”
DeWit accuses Kari Lake of releasing “a selectively edited audio recording of our private conversation,” labeling it a “deceptive tactic.”
“I received an ultimatum from Lake’s team: resign today or face the release of a new, more damaging recording,” said DeWit. “I am truly unsure of its contents, but considering our numerous past open conversations as friends, I have decided not to take the risk.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Statement from Chairman @JeffDeWitAZ
— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) January 24, 2024
#AZGOP pic.twitter.com/qxKd2Pqlp6
On Tuesday night, Lake told NBC News that DeWit has “gotta resign. We can’t have somebody who is corrupt and compromised running the Republican Party.”
The secret recording of the call between the two was initially uncovered by the Daily Mail, revealing the Arizona GOP chairman asking Lake how much it would take to dissuade her from running against Senator Kristen Sinema (I-AZ).
Benny Johnson said, “It’s time for him to name names.”
🚨 BREAKING: Jeff DeWit to resign as Arizona Republican Party chair after recording revealed he offered Kari Lake a bribe not to run for Senate.
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 24, 2024
It’s time for him to name names. pic.twitter.com/aVKfNQJwdt
