Leaked audio exposes rift in AZ GOP, with ex-chair a former Trump official, Lake as Trump surrogate

The resignation of Arizona GOP Chairman Jeff DeWit, following leaked audio of a conversation between him and Kari Lake over allegedly offering her money to stay out of the U.S. Senate race, exposed a rift among two Trump supporters in the state party, as the former worked in the ex-president’s first two campaigns and the latter is a vocal media surrogate for Trump.

DeWit resigned on Wednesday from his chairmanship in the Arizona GOP after an audio recording was posted online by the Daily Mail on Tuesday, where he allegedly offered Lake money to stay out of the U.S. Senate race in Arizona. The recording was allegedly from March 2023, before Lake announced her candidacy in October.

A transcript by the Daily Mail of the exchange is below:

"Just say, is there a number at which...." DeWit started.

Lake cut in, saying, "I can be bought? That's what it's about."

"You can take a pause for a couple of years. You can go right back to what you're doing," DeWit said.

Lake said she wouldn't do it for millions of dollars or a billion dollars. 

"This is not about money, it's about our country," she said.

In the recording, DeWit also said, "There are very powerful people that want to keep you out," noting that they are "people back east."

After the recording was posted, Lake called for DeWit’s resignation on Tuesday, while she was at former President Trump’s New Hampshire primary victory party.

"He’s gotta resign," Lake said. "We can’t have somebody who is corrupt and compromised running the Republican Party."

Maricopa County GOP Chairman Craig Berland also called for DeWit to resign if the audio was true. Just The News confirmed the authenticity of the tape with spokespersons for Kari Lake, and The Daily Mail also confirmed the authenticity with unnamed sources in the DeWit camp.

In his resignation letter on Wednesday, DeWit wrote, "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," he continued.

DeWit also wrote that he is “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.” He added that he is “eager to see [Trump] return to the White House.”

In the two-page letter, DeWit also wrote he was "set up."

"I said thing I regret," he wrote. "But I realize when hearing Lake's recording that I was set up."

Lake is a media surrogate for Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign and has beem endorsed by him in her Senate race.

Lake's campaign responded to DeWit's statement on Wednesday, writing on X, "The tape speaks for itself: The Arizona GOP Chairman Jeff DeWit attempted to bribe Kari Lake. Thankfully Kari is an extremely ethical person who rejected DeWit’s multiple attempts to offer her money and corporate board seats in exchange for Kari not running for public office. She will be an incredible Senator for Arizonans."

"No one from the Kari Lake campaign threatened or blackmailed DeWit," the statement continued. "It is unfortunate that DeWit hasn’t recognized how unethical his behavior was and still hasn’t apologized to Arizona Republicans. DeWit’s false claims are just par for the course. The Arizona GOP must be relieved to have his resignation. Now we can focus on getting ethical leadership and win big in 2024," the statement concluded.

Following DeWit’s resignation, Berland said in a statement, "Good to see AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit resign, two days after I—and the rest of the world—observed his shocking behavior in his conversation with Kari Lake. However, this revelation is not surprising, given my experience with him over the past year. In my approx. five significant interactions with Mr. DeWit, each and every time, he proposed something that, in my opinion, violated our Republican Party Bylaws or Arizona State Statutes. In each and every case, I walked away or hung up in disgust."

DeWit told NBC News on Wednesday that the offer "had everything to do with her being a drag on the ticket. There are people who want to make sure we win the election and that’s it. No one believes she can get across the finish line, particularly with independents.”

Lake ran in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race and was defeated by now-Gov. Katie Hobbs (D), but has ongoing litigation alleging fraud in the midterm election.

Former Arizona GOP Chairwoman Dr. Kelli Ward responded to DeWit’s resignation on “AMERICA First with Sebastian Gorka” on Wednesday, saying, “I’m so disappointed because I did have high hopes for Jeff. You know, Jeff has a lot of experience, he has a lot of connections to Trump world.” She believes DeWit found the chairmanship position “a lot harder than he thought it was ever gonna be.”

“Am I surprised? I have to say ‘no’ because I had my own experiences with Jeff” in another campaign, Ward said.

According to the Lake campaign's X account, Jill Norgaard is the acting chairwoman of the Arizona GOP. The campaign account wrote that Norgaard is "an incredible Woman with a GREAT team behind her. She will serve as chair during this transition period. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!"

The state party didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.