Arizona GOP Chairman resigns after leaked audio of him and Kari Lake

The chairman of the Arizona Republican Party announced his resignation after an audio recording revealed an interaction of him interacting with Senate candidate Kari Lake where he allegedly tried to convince her to stay out of the race.

Jeff DeWit released a statement on Wednesday afternoon saying that Ms Lake, the 2022 Republican nomineee for governor of Arizona, released an audio recording that he said was “selectively edited.”

“The recording, from over ten months ago, is not only taken out of context but also undermines the integrity of our party leadership,” he said. Mr DeWit said that the conversation came as he employed Ms Lake at his private company.

An audio recording obtained by The Daily Mail reportedly featured Mr Dewit telling Ms Lake that Republican leaders wondered if anyone could find “any companies out there or something that could just put her on the payroll to keep her out” of the 2024 election cycle.

Mr DeWit said that the recording was not an attempt to buy her off.

“Our relationship was based on friendship, and the conversation that is now being scrutinized was an open, unguarded exchange between friends in the living room of her house,” he said. Rather, Mr DeWit said that he suggested she postpone her Senate campaign and run for governor.

In the audio recording, Ms Lake can reportedly be heard saying “I can be bought? That's what it's about.”

Mr DeWit then says “Just say, is there a number at which” to which Ms Lake replies “I can be bought? That's what it's about.”

“You can take a pause for a couple of years,” Mr DeWit says. “You can go right back to what you're doing.”

In his statement on Wednesday, Mr DeWit accused Ms Lake of dishonesty.

“I believe she orchestrated this entire situation to