There’s much palace intrigue engulfing the Arizona Republican Party. It involves Kari Lake, who is taking another stab at elected office, running for the US Senate in what will be a three-way race between Lake, incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Rep. Reuben Gallego (D-AZ). There’s still a primary, but these are the likely candidates. Yet, there have been some reported behind-the-scenes shenanigans involving the Arizona GOP, where its chair, Jeff DeWit, is heard trying to keep Lake away from this race. It was a job offer where Lake could name her price.
It's been reported as a bribe, though DeWit said the audio recording is selectively edited. Nevertheless, he tendered his resignation as chairman on Wednesday. DeWit accused Lake of blackmail, as she threatened to release another tape, allegedly containing even more damning details, if he didn’t vacate his post (via Axios):
Q: "What do you think of Jeff DeWit's resignation letter?"@KariLake: "Well, it came very late. I didn't see an apology to the people of Arizona. He tried to act like the behavior that you heard on that audio is normal communication amongst friends. It's disgusting." pic.twitter.com/KN8Kif137v
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 25, 2024
Arizona Republican Party chair Jeff DeWit is resigning, per a statement Wednesday, after a recording surfaced in which he conveyed an offer from "very powerful people" to give Kari Lake a job in exchange for staying out of the 2024 U.S. Senate race.
Why it matters: The recording and resignation throws the state party into turmoil as it attempts to regroup after four years of tough losses, and as the paths to the presidency and Senate control could trek through Arizona.
Driving the news: DeWit called the audio posted Tuesday by DailyMail.com "selectively edited" and accused Lake of betraying his trust, in a statement issued by the AZGOP.
"Contrary to accusations of bribery, my discussions were transparent and intended to offer perspective, not coercion," DeWit said.
He said in his statement he believes Lake set him up and orchestrated the situation to gain control over the state party, and that she "crafted her performance responses" knowing that she was recording the conversation to use later "to portray herself as a hero in her own story."
"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," he said, per the statement.
The intrigue: DeWit said he was determined as of Wednesday morning to hold his position, but Lake's team threatened to release another, more damaging recording if he didn't resign.
DeWit Resigns after bribe scandal surfaces . pic.twitter.com/NjbA8535Df
— We the People AZ Alliance (@WethePeopleAZA1) January 24, 2024
CBS News also reported on this story, including the contents of the audio recording and DeWit’s reasoning for why he decided to die on this hill:
Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit resigned Wednesday after he could be heard in a leaked recording offering a job to U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake and asking her to name a price that would keep her out of politics.
"There are very powerful people that want to keep you out," DeWit tells Lake in what he described as a "selectively edited" recording, first published by The Daily Mail. "But they're willing to put their money where their mouth is in a big way."
He did not say who asked him to approach Lake but said they were "back East." He asks her repeatedly not to tell anyone about the conversation.
[…]
"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 wrote.
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.
[…]
Lake, a former 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.
[…]
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.
First, what the hell, guys? Forget the details of this story—this is a distraction that we do not need heading into a crucial election cycle. Mr. DeWit could have handled this better, and the ‘I didn’t mean to bribe her or come off that way’ defense was dead on arrival. I’m sure other politicians will use that defense when caught: I wasn’t bribing him or her; I was “offering candid advice.”
Third, given Lake's campaign style, he must’ve known the audio was rolling. She destroyed Gallego in a confrontation in an airport a few months ago—the two were on the same flight. If he forgot, it cost him dearly.
Lake’s more pressing concern is winning the Arizona primary and praying that Sinema remains in the race.
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