Arizona GOP chairman resigns after allegedly trying to bribe Kari Lake
'They're going to have to kill me,' Lake said
The chairman of the Arizona GOP resigned Wednesday in the wake of a leaked audio recording that appeared to show him attempting to bribe U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake with job opportunities in exchange for a two-year hiatus from politics.
Jeff DeWit explained in an extensive statement posted on X that he was quitting "as Lake requested," though he also maintained that Lake's subordinates threatened him with further leaked audio.
An audio recording from last March that was first reported by The Daily Mail recorded DeWit telling Lake that "there are very powerful people who want to keep you out."
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Lake repeatedly pushed back against the former chairman's attempts to pay her off and repudiated the idea that she "can be bought," according to the audio recording.
"This is not about money, it's about our country," she said, rebuffing hypothetical offers in the tens of millions or billions of dollars. The offers emerged from undisclosed entities "back east," according to the audio. Lake dismissed such people as "corrupt" and raised concerns that they would have her murdered.
DeWitt also suggested that he would be killed if word got out about what he was offering her, according to the audio.
JUST IN: Arizona GOP Chair Jeff DeWit resigns after leaked audio reveals he tried bribing Kari Lake into not running for Senate.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 24, 2024
There should be a much bigger punishment besides a forced resignation.
Despite resigning, DeWit bizarrely blasted the audio footage, claiming it was… pic.twitter.com/H30e40xj4S
"I am not going let these people who hate our f---ing country tell me not to run," Lake told DeWit. "You should call them and tell them to get behind me." She maintained that the figures behind the apparent bribe were attempting a "a deathblow to Trump." She said such a tactic is a "bad, bad thing for our country."
Lake further pushed back against the attempt from political consultants to sideline her by claiming that "if they're pushing a globalist agenda, I can't do that."
"I don't want to make a deal with these kinds of people," she said. "This is a hill worth dying on. If they're going to steal the election to make me and our movement go away, I'm not letting them do that. I owe it to the people of Arizona, to carry their torch and their voice."
"They're going to have to f---ing kill me," Lake said of those who would attempt to bribe her out of running.
DeWit conceded that he was the voice in the recording in his statement, though he claimed it was "selectively edited" and "taken out of context."
"Contrary to the notion of me being an enemy of Lake’s, this conversation was recorded while I was actually employing Lake in my private company," he wrote. "In fact, for over a year and a half we had many conversations where I was looking out for her financial interests."
"This morning, I was determined to fight for my position," DeWit said. "However, a few hours ago I received an ultimatum from Lake's team: resign or face the release of a new, more damaging recording."
"I am truly unsure of its contents, but considering our numerous past open conversations as friends, I have decided not to take the risk," he added. "I am resigning as Lake requested."
Maricopa County GOP Chairman Craig Berland praised DeWit's resignation, claiming he exhibited "shocking behavior in his conversation with Kari Lake."
"However, this revelation is not surprising, given my experience with him over the past year," he added.
Lake's senior campaign advisers Caroline Wren and Garrett Ventry told Fox News Digital that "the tape speaks for itself."
"The Arizona GOP Chairman Jeff DeWit attempted to bribe Kari Lake," they said. "Thankfully, Kari is an extremely ethical person who rejected DeWit’s multiple attempts to offer her money and corporate board seats in exchange for Kari not running for public office."
"She will be an incredible senator for Arizonans," the advisers added. "No one from the Kari Lake campaign threatened or blackmailed DeWit. It is unfortunate that Dewit hasn’t recognized how unethical his behavior was and still hasn’t apologized to Arizona Republicans."
"DeWit’s false claims are just par for the course. The Arizona GOP must be relieved to have his resignation. Now we can focus on getting ethical leadership and win big in 2024," they said.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
