The Swamp just took a big, broadside salvo.
The UK’s Daily Mail has released audio of Jeff DeWit, the leader of Arizona’s Republican Party, that appears to show him trying to bribe MAGA stun-gun Kari Lake not to run for the Senate. The tape starts with DeWit asking Lake to name her price to stay out of politics for two years.
“Just say, is there a number at which—” DeWit begins to ask before Lake interrupts and asks, “I can be bought? That’s what it’s about.”
“Not to be bought. To take a pause for a couple of years,” DeWit continues.
“No, no. Ten million, 20 million, 30, no. No. A billion, no, no,” Lake fires back. “This is not about money, it’s about our country.”
DeWit continues by stating that there are “powerful people” “back East” who want Lake to take a break from politics. He even states he, too, wants a “fresh face,” referring to the impending Senate election in Arizona this November.
“I’m not going to let these people who hate our f***ing country tell me not to run. You should call them and tell them to get behind me,” she declares.
Lake tries unsuccessfully to get DeWit to tell her who is behind the bribe pitch.
“So what is going on? I’m assuming this is our friend,” she implores.
“Oh, this is, this is back East. They — there are very powerful people that want to keep you out,” DeWit answers without divulging the name or names of the people for whom he is offering the bribe.
“I know they do,” Lake responds while apparently chewing on snacks.
“But they’re willing to put their money where their mouth is in a big way,” DeWit offers, then adds, “So this conversation never happened.”
Later on, DeWit says, “So the ask I got today from back East was, ‘Is there [sic] any companies out there or something that could just put her on the payroll to keep her out?’”
Lake continues to show her allegiance to the nation and Trump throughout the almost six-minute recording. At one point, she refers to the people offering the bribe as “globalists.”
Remarkably, DeWit even admits he believes that Trump was cheated in 2020. He also says he has heard “the cartels are opening in 50 states.”
At one point, Lake asks again who is offering the bribe. DeWit doesn’t take the bait.
“Forget who,” DeWit responds. “There are people calling around saying ‘Gosh [inaudible] never repeat this if you say no. Never say ‘because I got offered a buyout’ because we lose our ability to get things done.”
Lake further suggests they are trying to buy her off because “They don’t own me. It’s about control.”
DeWit suggests the bribe isn’t about ownership or control but says, “It’s about… being on the team.”
He then goes on to say that Washington, D.C., is full of “back scratchers” and that Lake “can’t scratch anyone’s back.”
Lake further suggests that the bribe is “about defeating Trump, and I think that’s a bad, bad thing for our country.”
The tape ends with Lake ominously stating, “I’m going to be the biggest f***ing pain in their a**es. And they’re going to have to f***ing kill me to stop me… You don’t have to tell them that,” at which point the tape abruptly ends.
It would appear as though Lake made the recording, which you can hear below:
BREAKING: Arizona Republican Party chair Jeff DeWit caught on secret recording trying to bribe Kari Lake not to run for the Senate.
Holy s***!
“There are very powerful people who want to keep you out,” he said.
At one point during the secret recording, Lake was asked to name… pic.twitter.com/9r1DoDzITD
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 23, 2024
Twitter/X exploded with demands that DeWit resign immediately.
Two sources confirmed to the Daily Mail that DeWit made the offer. Neither he nor Kari Lake has yet to respond to the Daily Mail for a comment.