Arizona Republican Party Chairman Jeff DeWit announced he would step down as head of the party after audio of him allegedly attempting to bribe Kari Lake to not run for Senate was released on Tuesday.

The audio featured DeWit asking Lake what price she would take not to enter the Senate race, which she is now running in. Lake said that DeWit should resign in the aftermath of leak.

DeWit announced on Wednesday that he would be stepping down in a lengthy statement accusing Lake of leaking the recording herself.

— Arizona Republican Party (@AZGOP) January 24, 2024

“In light of the recent revelation that Kari Lake has released a selectively edited audio recording of our private conversation, I must clearly address this deceptive tactic. The recording, from over ten months ago, is not only taken out of context but also undermines the integrity of private discussions critical for party leadership,” DeWit said.

He accused Lake of selectively editing the recording of conversation. He said he thought it was “an open, unguarded exchange between friends in the living room of her house” where DeWit believed he “was offering a helpful perspective to someone I considered a friend.”

“Since our conversation where I advised Lake to postpone her campaign and aim for the Governor’s position in two years, she has been on a mission to destroy me,” DeWit wrote. “It was a suggestion made in good faith, believing it could benefit both her future prospects and the party’s overall strategy.”

“The release of our conversation by Lake confirms a disturbing tendency to exploit private interactions for personal gain and increases concerns about her habit of secretly recording personal and private conversations,” he added. “This is obviously a concern given how much interaction she has with high profile people including President Trump.”

He also expressed his concern about how good of a senator Lake could be if she “cannot be trusted to engage in private and confidential conversations.”

DeWit conceded that he said things he regretted on the call, but claims that he now realizes that he was set up by Lake. He also claimed that Lake’s team threatened to leak another recording if he did not resign.

“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,” he wrote. “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 added.

DeWit reaffirmed his support for former President Donald Trump and said that he remains committed to the Arizona GOP. He also said that the party should stand for “unity, integrity, and the selection of candidates who can truly lead and represent our values.”

“This is all such a distraction to that mission that I am doing as Ms. Lake wishes and am stepping down as Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party,” DeWit said at the end of his statement.

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The tape released on Tuesday shows DeWit allegedly saying that “very powerful people” wanted Lake out of the Senate race and that they were “willing to put their money where their mouth is in a big way.”

The Arizona Republican Party is scheduled to hold a committee meeting on Saturday.