The chairman of the Arizona GOP, Jeff DeWit, has resigned following the release of an audiotape in which he is heard offering Kari Lake, a leading Trump ally and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, lucrative job opportunities in exchange for pausing her political career for two years. Lake, who referred to DeWit as “corrupt and compromised,” demanded his resignation. DeWit, in a letter, claimed that Lake had threatened to release another incriminating tape if he didn’t step down, forcing his decision.
The released audio, recorded in March 2023 and shared by conservative talk show host Garret Lewis, features DeWit telling Lake that powerful people from the East Coast wanted to keep her out of politics. He described it as an “incredible opportunity.” However, the identities of these individuals remain unknown.
Former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake | David Goldman / AP
DeWit, a former Arizona state treasurer who led Trump’s Arizona campaign in 2016 and served as the chief operating officer of his 2020 campaign, pressed Lake to stay out of the political scene for two years and join “their team.” Lake refused, stating that she would not let people in Washington, D.C., dictate her actions, and emphasized her loyalty to Donald Trump.
Lake accused DeWit of attempting to solicit her with monetary offers, to which DeWit denied. In response to DeWit’s claim that Lake selectively edited the recording, she maintained that she made the recording during her employment with DeWit’s company and that she believed she was offering a helpful perspective to a friend.
This controversy comes after Lake’s loss in the 2022 governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs. Despite her denial, Lake continued to insist that she had won the election and filed a lawsuit to overturn the results. The suit was dismissed in May of the following year.
It remains unclear why the audio was released at this particular time, but the Arizona GOP’s annual meeting is scheduled to take place in Phoenix on Saturday. Steve Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, expressed his support for Lake and predicted her victory in the Arizona Senate race, stating that she is a great candidate.
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