Kari Lake speaks about leaked recording of DeWit offering her a job

AZFamily | Arizona News

24 Jan 202404:31

Summary

TLDRThe transcript covers leaked audio of GOP senate candidate Kari Lake's conversation with former AZ GOP chair Jeff DeWitt about an offer for her to be paid to leave politics. Lake confirms the audio is real but says the offer to bribe her out of politics is more horrific than she remembered. DeWitt resigned after the audio leaked. Lake denies the claims that she worked for DeWitt or sent an ultimatum demanding his resignation.

Takeaways

😲 Leaked audio reveals GOP officials discussing ways to get Kari Lake out of politics
😯 The recording appears to confirm Lake's previous claims about being offered bribes
🤔 The timing of the audio leak, nearly a year later, raises questions
😠 Lake says the recording is even more horrifying than she remembered
🤥 Dewitt denies Lake's claim he was her boss when the recording happened
😒 Dewitt regrets his language in the recording but says he was talking to a friend
⚠️ Dewitt resigned as head of AZ GOP after the recording surfaced
😯 Dewitt claims he got an ultimatum tied to the recording from Lake's camp
😠 Lake's campaign denies sending any ultimatum
☝️ The AZ GOP will pick a new leader to replace Dewitt soon

Q & A

What was the ask that Jeff DeWitt says he received regarding Kari Lake?
-DeWitt says he was asked if there were any companies that could put Lake on payroll to keep her out of politics.
What was Kari Lake's reaction when she recently listened to the recording?
-Lake said listening to the recording was even more horrifying than she remembered and it was very disturbing.
Why did Jeff DeWitt resign as head of the AZ GOP?
-DeWitt resigned after the leaked audio recording came out which had him discussing an offer to pay Lake to stay out of politics.
What ultimatum did DeWitt say he received from Lake's campaign?
-DeWitt claimed he was told to resign immediately or face release of another more damaging recording, but Lake's campaign denies sending any such ultimatum.
Did Kari Lake work for Jeff DeWitt?
-No, Lake denies ever working for DeWitt or being employed by him in any capacity.
When was the conversation between Lake and DeWitt recorded?
-The conversation was recorded in spring 2022, after Lake lost the AZ governor's race but before the Senate race started.
Why is the recording coming out now, almost a year later?
-It's not clear why the recording is surfacing now, long after it originally occurred.
How did Lake initially publicize the bribery attempt?
-In Feb 2023, Lake spoke at a conservative conference claiming she was offered a bribe to exit politics, though without proof at the time.
Who will replace DeWitt as head of the AZ GOP?
-The state GOP will pick a new leader this weekend at their annual meeting to replace DeWitt as chairman.
Were DeWitt and Lake allies previously?
-Yes, they were allies and supporters of former President Trump before this incident drove them apart.

Outlines

00:00

😳 Alleged bribery attempt to get Kari Lake out of politics

Kari Lake claims someone came to her door and tried to bribe her to get out of politics after she lost the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial race. Lake says she records everything illegal she does, expressing she's glad she recorded the alleged bribery attempt conversation.

👂🏻 Leaked audio backs Lake's bribery claims

A leaked audio recording between Kari Lake and former AZ GOP chair Jeff DeWitt appears to back up Lake's previous claims about the alleged bribery attempt. Lake says the recently leaked audio is even more horrifying than she remembered.

🤔 Timing of leaked audio raises questions

The leaked DeWitt-Lake audio was made shortly after Lake lost the 2022 AZ governor's race, before the 2023 senate race. This raises questions about the timing of its release nearly a year later, which Lake comments on.

😤 Lake wanted DeWitt to handle bribery request better

Lake thinks DeWitt could have handled the alleged bribery conversation more tactfully, but notes he likely used candid language because he was unknowingly recorded talking to a friend.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Resignation

Jeff DeWitt stepped down from his position as chairman of the Arizona Republican Party after the leaked audio recording came out. His resignation shows the serious political fallout from the leaked audio.

💡Ultimatum

In his resignation letter, DeWitt claimed he received an ultimatum from Kari Lake's campaign to resign or face release of more damaging recordings. Lake's campaign denies this, showing conflicting accounts.

💡Recording

The leaked audio recording captures the conversation between Kari Lake and Jeff DeWitt about an offer to pay Lake to stay out of politics. The recording backs up Lake's prior claims about the bribery attempt.

💡Bribery

The leaked audio alleges an attempt to bribe Kari Lake to quit politics by putting her on a company payroll. This highlights potential political corruption.

💡Payroll

DeWitt discusses putting Lake "on the payroll" of a company to pay her to stay out of politics. This implies using employment as a cover for the bribe payment.

💡Back room

The recording gives the public a rare look into the type of political deal-making that often happens behind closed doors, showing the inner workings.

💡Timing

The timing of the recording's release, coming a year after it was made and right before a GOP meeting, raises speculation about political motivations.

💡Ally

Despite being political allies supporting Trump, Lake and DeWitt are now in conflict over the recording, showing political relationships can quickly shift.

💡Denial

Lake denies some of DeWitt's claims, like working for him. The conflicting accounts reveal damage to their political partnership.

💡Fallout

DeWitt's resignation demonstrates serious political fallout from the leaked audio. It may preview further fallout within Arizona GOP circles.

Highlights

Kari Lake claims she was offered a bribe to exit politics

Lake recorded conversation with GOP official Jeff DeWit

Recording leaked nearly a year after it happened

Speculation on timing of leak right before important GOP meeting

In recording, DeWit discusses putting Lake on a payroll

Lake says recording is even more horrifying than she remembered

DeWit resigned as head of AZ GOP after release of recording

Lake denies her campaign threatened DeWit to resign

Recording gives inside look at political dealings

Lake denies working for DeWit's company

AZ GOP to pick new leader after DeWit's resignation

Trump may address situation during upcoming AZ visit

Lake and DeWit were allies and Trump supporters

Timing of leak raises questions

Recording exposes ugly side of politics