On Wednesday, Jeff DeWit, the head of the Arizona GOP and former employer of U.S. senatorial candidate, Kari Lake, resigned his position as leader of Arizona’s Republican Party.
DeWit’s resignation follows Lake’s allegations that DeWit had attempted to bribe her to not run for the Senate while she was working for one of his political technology companies.
Associates of Lake released a ten-minute segment of a longer conversation she recorded with DeWit in early 2023, in which he offered Lake money to stay out of this year’s Senate race.
DeWit released a statement with his resignation, adamantly denying Lake’s accusation. Later, Lake admitted to being an employee at the time of the conversation.
According to sources close to DeWit, shortly after losing the Arizona gubernatorial race to Katie Hobbs, Lake asked DeWit to hire her as she was facing financial difficulties.
A 2022 financial disclosure shows that Lake worked as a “communication adviser” for DeWit’s FeedMe Inc.
DeWit hastily resigned after Lake’s team threatened to share another “more damaging” recording if he did not resign immediately.
DeWit now says that he is surprised that the woman he brought into the political arena has committed such an “ethical breach in her recording of our conversation.” DeWit and others say it raises serious legal and moral concerns.
DeWit said in his statement that while he said things he regrets, he now believes Lake set up him and the recording and its release was a “betrayal” of their friendship.
In an interview with Mike Broomhead, an avid supporter of the late Senator John McCain, Lake said on KTAR Radio that she called on DeWit to resign because the conversation was “disrespectful and unethical.”
Lake did not explain why she chose to wait 10 months to expose DeWit, just days away from the Arizona GOP’s annual meeting.
Within hours of DeWit’s resignation, various Republican operatives were searching for anyone to lead the now splintered party, with little success.
DeWit was the consensus candidate for the AZGOP chairmanship in in January 2023, winning over 70 percent of the votes of precinct committeemen across the state.
DeWit’s statement in full:
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.
Lake rebutted DeWit’s claims on Rumble:
🚨Live Now!🚨
Kari Lake goes LIVE: Rooting Out Bribery & Corruption in DC. https://t.co/tBzJAV3fU9
— Kari Lake (@KariLake) January 25, 2024