PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5/AP) -- The Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party has resigned amid a growing number of calls to step down after a British tabloid released clips of him reportedly trying to “bribe” former gubernatorial candidate and television news anchor Kari Lake to not run for Senate.
The verified audio recording obtained by the Daily Mail reveals party chair Jeff DeWit asking Lake to “Just say, is there a number at which,” that appears to signify Lake to essentially “name her price.” Lake is heard in the audio tape taking offense to the remark, stating, “I can be bought? That’s what it’s about.” The clip continues with DeWit saying: “You can take a pause for a couple of years. You can go right back to what you’re doing.” To which Lake replies, “This is not about money, it’s about our country.”
At the time of the recording last March, Lake was waging an unsuccessful court fight challenging her loss in the 2022 race for Arizona governor and gearing up for a U.S. Senate campaign. Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington, bruised by a disappointing showing in the midterms, were talking openly about plans to seek GOP Senate nominees who would be more viable in general elections.
DeWit said in a statement announcing his exit that the tape was “selectively edited” and used in a “deceptive” way. He claims that despite the conversation appearing against Lake, she was actually employed by him in DeWit’s private company. DeWit claims since that conversation, that Lake has been on a “mission to destroy” him.
“I said things I regret, but I realize when hearing Lake’s recording that I was set up. I believe she orchestrated this entire situation to have control over the state party,” the statement read in part. The decision to step down on Wednesday was part of an “ultimatum,” DeWit said, adding that the Lake campaign threatened the release of a “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,” DeWit said.
“I am resigning as Lake requested, in the hope that she will honor her commitment to cease her attacks, allowing me to return to the business sector-—a field I find much more logical and prefer over politics,” DeWit continued in the letter, explaining his decision and his plans for the future.
He said he didn’t intend to bribe Lake but was offering candid advice for her to sit out the Senate race and run again for governor in 2028. He was employing Lake at his private company at the time, he said, and they’d had “many conversations where I was looking out for her financial interests.”
“Our relationship was based on friendship, and the conversation that is now being scrutinized was an open, unguarded exchange between friends in the living room of her house,” DeWit said. “I genuinely believed I was offering a helpful perspective to someone I considered a friend.”
About an hour later, the Lake campaign fired back, saying in part that the “tape speaks for itself.”
“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,” the joint statement from senior advisors Caroline Wren and Garrett Ventry said. “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.”
Lake, a former Phoenix television news anchor, has a penchant for weaponizing recordings of her confrontations. She routinely wears a small microphone during her public appearances while her husband, a former news photographer, records her interactions with supporters, critics, the press and anyone else she encounters. She sometimes posts videos of confrontational encounters on social media.
An “X” account associated with Lake’s campaign published a video of her attorney talking on speakerphone with a lawyer for Maricopa County as Lake claimed the county stole the 2022 race for Arizona governor from her. Courts have repeatedly rejected her claims of fraud.
Yet even as Lake delivered campaign-style talking points for an audience, not in the room, DeWit did not seem to catch on that he was being recorded.
The recording, first published by the Daily Mail, was leaked days before former President Donald Trump is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser for the Arizona GOP, which is in desperate need of cash, and the party’s annual state committee meeting.
Without naming her visitor, Lake has repeatedly described the meeting in her public appearances, using it to bolster her image as an outsider shaking up a corrupt establishment.
DeWit went down swinging, blasting Lake’s “disturbing tendency to to exploit private interactions for personal gain,” which he said is concerning given the amount of time Lake spends with Trump.
“I question how effective a United States Senator can be when they cannot be trusted to engage in private and confidential conversations,” DeWit said.
DeWit previously served as state treasurer after succeeding Doug Ducey in 2015. He was chief operating officer for Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns and was the chief financial officer of NASA during the Trump presidency. He was selected to serve as the head of the Arizona Republican Party in 2023 after firebrand Trump ally Kelli Ward. Ward, a former state senator, was best known for helping the former president in his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and was a vocal proponent of the claim that the election results were fraudulent. DeWit was seen as a trusted and experienced operative who could bridge the bitter divide between Trump loyalists and old-guard Republicans in Arizona, many of whom were brought into the party by the late Sen. John McCain.
Jeff DeWit, the new chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, joins political editor Dennis Welch to discus what he would like to see in future candidates.He is the second state GOP chair to leave abruptly this month after Florida Republicans ousted Chairman Christian Ziegler as police investigate a rape allegation against him.
In light of the recent revelation that Kari Lake has released a selectively edited audio recording of our private conversation. I must clearly address this deceptive tactic. The recording, from over ten months ago, is not only taken out of context but also undermines the integrity of private discussions critical for party leadership.
As Chairman, my primary duty is to strengthen our party, which often involves challenging dialogues and strategic decisions. These conversations are meant to assess and enhance the viability of our candidates. The truth is, when I took the helm, our party was in disarray - financially unstable, organizationally weak, and lacking in momentum. Today, we have made significant improvements in acquiring a new office headquarters, legal victories for election integrity, and historic fundraising achievements.
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. In fact, for over a year and a half we had many conversations where I was looking out for her financial interests. The ethical breach in her recording of our conversation, while Lake was my employee, raises serious legal and moral concerns. This act of recording was not just a betrayal of trust but also a violation of the fiduciary responsibilities of an employee. Contrary to accusations of bribery, my discussions were transparent and intended to offer perspective, not coercion. Our relationship was based on friendship, and the conversation that is now being scrutinized was an open, unguarded exchange between friends in the living room of her house. I genuinely believed I was offering a helpful perspective to someone I considered a friend.
Lake has a massive megaphone that I cannot compete with. I am just a business and financial guy that got recruited into this unpaid role that demands the amount of time of roughly two full time jobs - nights, weekends, holidays, and more are all workdays. My motivation for accepting this position was that I wanted to contribute positively, with the primary focus being the betterment of Arizona and our nation through the election of competent individuals. While there is much more that I could express, I must refrain from defending myself, as it could potentially undermine this objective.
Since our conversation where I advised Lake to postpone her campaign and aim for the Governor’s position in two years, she has been on a mission to destroy me. It was a suggestion made in good faith, believing it could benefit both her future prospects and the party’s overall strategy. The release of our conversation by Lake confirms a disturbing tendency to exploit private interactions for personal gain and increases concerns about her habit of secretly recording personal and private conversations. This is obviously a concern given how much interaction she has with high profile people including President Trump. I question how effective a United States Senator can be when they cannot be trusted to engage in private and confidential conversations.
I said things I regret, but I realize when hearing Lake’s recording that I was set up. I believe she orchestrated this entire situation to have control over the state party, and it is obvious from the recording that she crafted her performance responses with the knowledge that she was recording it, intending to use this recording later to portray herself as a hero in her own story.
This morning, I was determined to fight for my position. However, a few hours ago, I received an ultimatum from Lake’s team: resign today 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. I am resigning as Lake requested, in the hope that she will honor her commitment to cease her attacks, allowing me to return to the business sector—a field I find much more logical and prefer over politics.
I am a proud supporter of President Trump, having worked diligently as the COO & CFO of his 2016 campaign, served in his Administration for two years, and returned as the COO of the 2020 campaign. Like many Republicans, I am eager to see him return to the White House, bringing back low inflation, a secure border, and economic growth. President Trump is not only a successful businessman but also a passionate Patriot. We have both faced the challenge of dealing with unauthorized recordings, a situation no one should endure. While I have occasionally critiqued some of his endorsements, my admiration for his character has never faltered. My dedication remains with Arizona Republicans, our commendable elected officials, and candidates who are champions of freedom, as well as my friends in the Trump campaign, united in our goal to reclaim the White House.
Our party’s focus should be unity, integrity, and the selection of candidates who can truly lead and represent our values. We are weakened by internal strife, underhanded tactics, and the erosion of trust. As someone who has dedicated countless unpaid hours to this cause, I hope that every future party Chairman is as committed to steering our party towards a future that embodies our core principles of unity, respect, and professionalism.
In closing, my actions will always reflect what’s best for Arizona Republicans, our commendable elected officials, and our mission to reclaim the White House. This is all such a distraction to that mission that I am doing as Ms. Lake wishes and am stepping down as Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party.
correction: We've updated our headline, removing potential ownership of the audio recording. While a social media profile connected to Lake's campaign released the full audio on their feed, it's not yet known who recorded or released the audio.
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