Arizona GOP Chairman Accuses Kari Lake Campaign of Blackmail in Resignation Letter

Arizona GOP chairman resigns after accusing Senate candidate Kari Lake of blackmail, saying she threatened to release a secret recording.

The Arizona Republican Party's chairman, Jeff DeWit, has resigned from his position and accused Senate candidate Kari Lake of blackmail. This comes after a leaked audio tape allegedly depicted DeWit offering a bribe to Lake if she stepped away from her 2024 Senate race. In his resignation letter, DeWit defended his actions, claiming that the audio was taken out of context and that Lake threatened to release another secret recording if he did not resign.

DeWit stated that he received an ultimatum from Lake's team, forcing him to resign or face the release of a new, more damaging recording. He expressed uncertainty about the contents of the new recording but decided not to take the risk, ultimately resigning as Lake requested.

The leaked recording shows DeWit telling Lake that "very powerful people" wanted to keep her away from power and asking if there was a "number" she'd be interested in. Lake responded by saying that not for a "billion dollars" could she be bought.

In his resignation letter, DeWit addressed the selectively edited audio recording, emphasizing that it was taken out of context and undermined the integrity of private discussions crucial for party leadership. He also clarified that the conversation was recorded while he was employing Lake in his private company, and that he had been looking out for her financial interests for over a year and a half.

Both DeWit and Lake have not immediately responded to requests for comment.

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