In a surprising turn of events, Jeff DeWit, the chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, announced his resignation on Wednesday. DeWit claims his decision was influenced by pressure from GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake.
The resignation follows the release of an audio recording by The Daily Mail, which captured a conversation between DeWit and Lake. In the recording, DeWit is heard explaining the financial benefits of Lake refraining from participating in the state’s 2024 Senate race. DeWit alleges that Lake threatened to release a “more damaging” audio recording if he did not step down.
However, Lake’s senior advisers, Caroline Wren and Garrett Ventry, have dismissed DeWit’s claims as false. “No one from the Kari Lake campaign threatened or blackmailed DeWit,” they stated, criticizing DeWit for his alleged unethical behavior and lack of apology to Arizona Republicans.
DeWit, who previously served as a Trump campaign chief operating officer and NASA chief financial officer, stated that the controversial conversation took place in Lake’s home 10 months ago, while she was employed at his private business.
DeWit Claims He Was Set Up
In a statement released by the Arizona Republican Party on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, DeWit claimed he was set up by Lake in an attempt to gain control over the state party. He expressed his initial determination to fight for his position, but ultimately decided to resign due to the alleged ultimatum from Lake’s team.
In the released audio recording, DeWit is heard discussing the possibility of Lake being employed by companies to prevent her from running. Lake, however, firmly rejected the idea, stating that her decision to run was not about money, but about the country.
Lake’s aides, Wren and Ventry, accused DeWit of attempting to bribe Lake, praising her for rejecting his offers. Lake herself expressed disgust at DeWit’s conduct and criticized his performance as head of the Arizona GOP.
DeWit’s Resignation and the Arizona GOP
DeWit’s resignation marks another episode in the ongoing turmoil within the Arizona GOP, which has seen divisions between establishment Republicans and a faction aligned with Donald Trump. DeWit, a former Arizona state treasurer, was seen as a bridge between these factions due to his work for Trump’s campaign and administration.
DeWit claimed his conversation with Lake was intended to offer perspective, not coercion. He also expressed concern about Lake’s alleged habit of secretly recording private conversations, questioning her potential effectiveness as a United States Senator.
Arizona is set to play a crucial role in the 2024 elections, being one of the nation’s most competitive presidential battlegrounds with a key Senate race on the ballot. Lake is among several GOP contenders for the seat currently held by independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. The leading Democratic candidate for the seat is US Rep. Ruben Gallego.
This story has been updated with additional details. CNN’s Aaron Pellish contributed to this story.