Kari Lake calls on Arizona GOP chair to resign after reports of leaked audio

Arizona Senate candidate Kari Lake on Tuesday called on Jeff DeWitt, chairman of the state's Republican Party, to resign after a leaked recording appeared to show him offering money in exchange for not running.

“He has to resign. We can't let a corrupt, compromised person run the Republican Party,” Lake said. told an NBC reporter At former President Trump's New Hampshire primary victory party.

The recording is First reported by the Daily Mailclaims that DeWitt offered Lake money in exchange for two years away from politics. The authenticity of the recording could not be verified by The Hill.

“There are very powerful people who are trying to keep you out,” DeWitt reportedly told Lake in the recording, saying only that these people were from “the East.”

“Tell me, what number do you have?'' DeWitt began, then trailed off.

“Can I afford it too? That's the question,” Lake retorted.

“You can take a break for a few years,” DeWitt continued. “You can get back to work right away.”

Lake said he would not accept $1 billion to drop out of the Senate race.

Lake, DeWitt and the Arizona Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment.

DeWitt has been the state party chairman since January of last year, after serving as chief operating officer for Trump's 2016 and 2020 White House bids.

Lake, a former news anchor and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate, is facing backlash for his Senate bid. DeWitt suggests that those within the party will favor stronger fundraisers in the race. Lake was a key promoter of Trump's false claims of election fraud and fought his own legal battle against his loss in the 2022 gubernatorial race.

She said Tuesday she had no idea who would replace DeWitt.

“I haven't thought about it much. What I want to do is make sure we get rid of the corrupt people,” she said.

On Monday, Maricopa County Republican Party Chairman Craig Berland also called on DeWitt to resign.

“If this is true, I call on AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWitt to resign,” he said in a statement. statement About recording.

Polls predict a close race for the Arizona Senate seat. A poll released earlier this month showed Lake holding a 1-point lead over Democratic candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego (Arizona) in a head-to-head race. If incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) decides to run for reelection in a three-way race, Gallego has a one-point lead in the polls.