Top Arizona Republican quits over leaked tape offer to Kari Lake

Image source, Getty Images

Arizona’s Republican party chairman has quit over a leaked tape in which he is heard apparently trying to induce a Senate candidate to quit the race.

On the audio, Jeff DeWit asks Kari Lake if there is “any number” that would make her take a political “pause” as “very powerful people” want her out.

In his resignation letter, he denied any bribery and said Ms Lake had released a “selectively edited” tape.

Ms Lake narrowly lost her 2022 race for Arizona governor.

The right-wing firebrand and ally of Donald Trump is now running for the seat currently occupied by independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema.

Arizona Republicans have long worried that Ms Lake’s combative style of politics may turn off moderate voters and lose the race, potentially costing Republicans control of the Senate.

In the tape, recorded during a meeting at her house 10 months ago, Mr DeWit tells Ms Lake there are “very powerful people that want to keep you out”.

He does not name them, but says they are “back East”.

“I’ll tell you what I’m offering you,” he says, suggesting that she could be put on the payroll of a company in exchange for a two-year “pause”.

He repeatedly asks her not to tell anyone about their conversation.

“Is there a number at which…”, he says, before Ms Lake interrupts.

“I could be bought? No,” she replies.

When Mr DeWit says he has doubts that Mr Trump will win the presidential election because of fundraising issues in the state, she disagrees.

“This is about defeating Trump and I think that’s a bad, bad thing for our country,” she argues.

Image source, Getty Images

Ms Lake, who had called for Mr DeWit to resign after the tape emerged, welcomed his departure.

“We want ethical leaders,” she posted on X on Wednesday. “Time to root-out the corruption at ALL levels – both inside and outside our party.”

Mr DeWit, a former state treasurer, worked for Mr Trump’s campaigns in 2016 and 2020.

In his resignation letter on Wednesday, he said that Ms Lake’s team had delivered him an ultimatum – “resign or face the release of a new, more damaging recording”.

He said that since their conversation, Ms Lake “has been on a mission to destroy me”.

“Contrary to accusations of bribery, my discussions were transparent and intended to offer perspective, not coercion,” he says.

Mr DeWit is not the only Republican state party leader to leave office this month.

Florida’s chairman was voted out by party members after allegations of sexual assault.

In Michigan, Republicans voted to remove Kristina Karamo as party chair due to infighting and fundraising issues.