Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit announced his resignation Wednesday afternoon after Kari Lake released audio of a conversation between herself and DeWit that she secretly recorded more than 10 months ago.
Information revealed in DeWit’s statement released today alleges the recording is part of a hostile takeover plot to seize control of the Arizona Republican Party, consolidating power in the Arizona Republican Party for Lake.
DeWit believes the recording was a political setup, saying, “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.” The recording leak raises the question if Lake is fit for election to the U.S. Senate, with DeWit stating, “I question how effective a United States Senator can be when they cannot be trusted to engage in private and confidential conversations.”
DeWit defended the conversation in which he attempted to persuade Lake into not running for Senate, saying, “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.”
Lake’s audio leak caused multiple sources to accuse DeWit of committing bribery, with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) saying on X, “1. Somebody tried to bribe Kari Lake. 2. That’s very illegal. 3. We need to know who it was. 4. Hats off to Kari Lake for telling the guy to pound sand and not hesitating for even an instant.” The validity of the criminal accusations leveled against DeWit from a sitting senator are questionable, and the scrutiny has potentially escalated to the level of slander.
DeWit stated that Lake was an employee of his when the conversation was recorded: “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.”
DeWit continued, “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.”
DeWit stated that Lake had given him an ultimatum to resign, and some are describing Lake’s actions as blackmail:
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.
Facing mainstream media scrutiny over a private conversation without context, DeWit stated he cannot compete with the national media attention Lake has focused on him, saying, “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.”
