LISTEN HERE:
The website DailyMail.com has publicized an audio recording that suggests a leading figure within the Republican party in Arizona might have attempted to influence Kari Lake, a prominent populist figure, to refrain from participating in the state’s Senate race.
It seems Jeff DeWit, a 51-year-old veteran and helm of the Arizona Republican faction, can supposedly be heard suggesting an undisclosed price for Lake, a strong supporter of former President Donald Trump, to remain absent from the political arena for two years. He vividly asserts that several influential individuals are keen on her timeout from the public sphere.
The male voice in the audio tape, claimed to be DeWit’s, engages in a conversation with Lake, a 54-year-old stalwart of Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, and someone the rumor mill suggests as a potential vice-presidential candidate in 2024. In the conversation dating back to the onset of March of the previous year, the voice identified as DeWit shares his belief about Trump’s potential electoral downfall and suggests it’s time for a fresh face to take his place.
Following his request for Lake’s discretion concerning their conversation, the man believed to be DeWit places an intriguing proposition on the table. Backed with a picture of DeWit alongside his wife Marina and President Trump, the website notes that DeWit was elected the chairman of the Arizona Republican Party in the previous year. Subsequently, he implied that Lake could consider distancing herself from politics for twenty-four months, owing to alleged pressures from power brokers.
Lake, however, responds with visible indignation to the proposal, associating the move as a scheme to undermine former President Trump. As a patriotic advocate of her country, she sees such attempts as detrimental to their nation. His new framing of the question, however, puts Lake on the defensive, forcing her to clarify that her commitment to duty cannot be bought and put on pause.
Although the voice thought to be DeWit makes numerous persuasive remarks, Lake persistently turns him down, stating adamantly that she wouldn’t exchange her political career for even a billion dollars. To her, she emphasizes, the issue isn’t about financial gain but the welfare of their homeland. These events have intensified the calls for DeWit to resign from his position as the state party chairman.
The particular encounter with DeWit was shared by Lake with the audience at the Conservative Political Action Committee last year. Lake vividly recalls how an obscure person had personally approached her in an attempt to buy her political neutrality. Two anonymous sources assured that it was, in fact, DeWit who was trying to negotiate with her, a claim which neither DeWit nor his press secretary responded to. Lake’s office also refrained from providing any response on the matter.
At the time of their discrete dialogue, Lake entertained the possibility of running for a position in the U.S. Senate. This revelation, however, symbolizes the underlying turmoil ignited by her refusal to acknowledge her defeat in the gubernatorial elections in Arizona in 2022. As a result of her steadfast stance, she became a renowned figure and a regular guest on Fox News, an act that brought her into conflict with the more traditional elements of her own party who harbored concerns that the new wave of Trump devotees could drive away substantial financial backers.
In October, Lake publicly declared her intent to run. Lake had previously spoken of an immense endeavor to block her candidacy, but until recently, the identity of the person behind it remained obscure. The situation became clearer when Arizona talk host Garret Lewis disclosed DeWit’s name, who was appointed as the chairman of the party in January of the last year. Before his appointment by Trump to serve as NASA’s chief financial officer, DeWit had been the party’s treasurer.
Following the revelation of DeWit’s controversial offer to Lake, Arizona party officials started a chorus for him to resign. DeWit, after being nominated by the Trump administration, was confirmed by the Senate in 2018 to be the chief financial officer of NASA, a position he stepped down from just a couple of years later. Adding on to her promising political profile, Lake is frequently discussed as a potential vice-presidential candidate for the Trump 2024 ticket.
Given the circumstances, Maricopa County Republican Committee Chairman Craig Berland publicly called for AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit to step down. ‘If these revelations hold true, it’s my request that AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit resign immediately,’ said Berland. This episode is just another addition to a growing list of scandals that have hit various regional Republican parties.
Just recently, the Florida faction of the republican party dethroned its chair following allegations of sexual assault leveled against him by the local law enforcement. The freshly leaked 10-minute audio recording also features the voice assumed to be DeWit’s appealing for secrecy, presumably implying the sensitivity of their discussion. Towards the latter part of the clip, he elaborates on the rationale behind his proposal, suggesting that the true concern isn’t about control or agenda, but rather the ability to gather the funds necessary to win.
Despite DeWit’s persuasions, Lake is unwavering. ‘I refuse to enter into a pact with these kinds of people. This is a cause worth sticking my neck out for,’ she emphatically proclaims. Determined, she voices her opposition to the alleged electoral theft aimed at annihilating her and the movement she represents. ‘I won’t let them do that. I’m obligated to the people of Arizona to carry their beacon and express their voice,’ Lake insists.
In the past month, Lake has been active on Trump’s campaign trail, touring Iowa and New Hampshire to galvanize his supporters to vote. One of these instances can be seen in a recent public rally in Rochester, New Hampshire. Shortly after the occurrence, Lake broke the news of this unusual approach.
In her appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Lake narrated the strangely insistent request someone had made at her doorstep. ‘They phoned me previously and insisted they had to speak to me in person. It couldn’t be conducted over call,’ she detailed. Describing the odd request, Lake shared how she was asked to settle for a price in exchange for her distant stance from politics for a two-year period.
During the revelation, Lake candidly confessed her immediate desire to set her dog on the person who attempted to bribe her. However, considering her pet was a pug, the possibility was quickly dismissed. ‘But, I possess a pug, and it just wasn’t going to happen,’ she quipped concluding her address to the audience in Orlando, Florida.
More Articles: Real News Now
