(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A leaked audio recording has exposed Arizona Republican Party Chair Jeff DeWitt attempting to bribe Kari Lake not to run for U.S. Senate in exchange for a generous salary or another job opportunity.
According to Daily Mail, the recorded conversation took place in March 2023, where DeWitt claimed there were “powerful” individuals opposing Lake.
BREAKING: Arizona Republican Party chair Jeff DeWit caught on secret recording trying to bribe Kari Lake not to run for the Senate.
Holy s***!
“There are very powerful people who want to keep you out,” he said.
At one point during the secret recording, Lake was asked to name… pic.twitter.com/9r1DoDzITD
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 23, 2024
“There are very powerful people who want to keep you out,” DeWitt declared. “So the ask I got today from back east was: ‘Is there any companies out there or something that could just put her on the payroll to keep her out?’”
In a later part of the audio, DeWitt hinted at a specific amount, asking Lake, “Just say, is there a number at which….” Lake interrupted, stating, “I can be brought? That’s what it’s about.”
However, DeWitt pleaded with Lake, suggesting: “You can take a pause for a couple of years. You can go right back to what you’re doing.” But Lake interjected again, emphasizing her lack of interest in monetary gain. “This is not about money, it’s about our country,” she added.
Lake urged DeWitt to publicly acknowledge the attempts by certain individuals to dissuade her from running. DeWitt, however, firmly rejected the idea, responding with, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.”
During CPAC 2023, Lake hinted that she had been approached with attempts to bribe her not to run for office following her loss in the 2022 Arizona governor’s race.
“This person standing before me was sent at the request of some powerful people back East,” Lake declared in March 2023. “They want me out of politics.”
MUST READ!
On March 4, 2023 at CPACKari Lake told the world that Somebody Showed up at Her Door trying to Bribe Her out of Politics – at the Request of Powerful People back East
We can now conclude that person was the AZ Rep Party Chair Jeff DeWit.
My only question is….… https://t.co/mtGHWgkD4D pic.twitter.com/boPjC0BMSq
— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) January 23, 2024
On Tuesday, Lake called on DeWitt to resign as party chair following the emergence of the audio. “He’s gotta resign. We can’t have somebody who is corrupt and compromised running the Republican Party,” Lake said in an interview with NBC reporter.
Lake ran for governor in 2022, but lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs. She has refused to concede that race, citing what she rebuked as election interference and voter fraud.
She faced opposition from the Republican establishment, including then-Gov. Doug Ducey and Vice President Mike Pence, both of whom endorsed Lake’s primary opponent, Karrin Taylor Robson.
Despite earlier rumors of being a favorite for the Trump 2024 ticket, Lake declared her candidacy for the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kyrsten Sinema, a former Democrat now running as an independent.
