Arizona Republican Party Chair Steps Down After Leak Of Bribe Recording

Arizona Republican Party Chair Steps Down After Leak Of Bribe Recording

By Corinne Murdock |

The chairman of the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP), Jeff DeWit, resigned on Wednesday after a leaked recording revealed his attempt to bribe Senate candidate Kari Lake to postpone her 2024 campaign. 

In the leaked audio originally given to The Daily Mail exclusively, DeWit said that the unnamed, “very powerful people […] back East” wanted Lake to sit out of the 2024 race. Lake posited that those people were corrupt; DeWit conceded to that observation. 

“Is there a number at which… not be bought. You can take a pause for a couple of years, and then go right back to it,” said DeWit.

Lake said that she was offended that people were “trying to buy [her] out,” to which DeWit replied that she should be “honored.” DeWit asked Lake not to release their conversation because it would hinder the ability of the AZGOP to “get things done” in the future. 

“This is not about money, this is about our country,” said Lake. “These people are un-American, and I think they’re unethical, and I would be absolutely immoral if I did that.”

DeWit said that even he was hoping for a different candidate, seeing as he couldn’t think of any other candidates that won a race immediately after losing.

“I want a fresh face right now for the reason that I’ve never seen anyone, I can’t think of a person in a federal race who’ve lost, ran again, and then won,” said DeWit. “I can give you an incredible opportunity to have a bigger voice to fight for stuff than you currently do.”

In his parting remarks to Lake, DeWit insisted again that she should be honored by the buyout, because the unnamed power players “back East” weren’t instead focusing on beating her.

DeWit announced his resignation in a press release. The former chairman characterized the audio as “selectively edited,” “deceptive,” and an “ethical breach” that raised “serious legal and moral concerns,” revealing that the recorded conversation took place in Lake’s living room while she was in DeWit’s employment. 

“This act of recording was not just a betrayal of trust but also a violation of the fiduciary responsibilities of an employee,” said DeWit. “Contrary to accusations of bribery, my discussions were transparent and intended to offer perspective, not coercion.”

DeWit expressed the belief that Lake set him up in order to gain total control over the AZGOP. 

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

According to DeWit, he was intent on fighting for his position — which he emphasized was unpaid and required many volunteer hours on his part — but decided to step down after Lake allegedly blackmailed him with “a new, more damaging recording.” DeWit noted that he wasn’t sure what this recording might contain, explaining that he and Lake shared numerous open conversations in the past. 

“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,” said DeWit. 

DeWit emphasized that the controversy over the recording was “a distraction” to the mission of electing Republicans.

DeWit’s resignation came just days before the AZGOP planned to play host to former President Donald Trump at its Freedom Fest. 

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Voter Registration System Glitch Switched Voters’ Parties To Independent

Voter Registration System Glitch Switched Voters’ Parties To Independent

By Corinne Murdock |

A glitch in the state’s voter registration system resulted in dozens of voters, potentially more, to have their party preference switched to independent. 

In an email last week to county recorders, first reported by the Arizona Daily Independent, the secretary of state’s office said that at least 65 voters’ registrations were switched to independent because they wrote “party” after “Republican” or “Democratic.”

“We are currently investigating an issue where EZ Voter transactions party preferences as of 1/17/2024 are now containing the word ‘Party’ at the end of the party preference value,” said the office. “As a result, the current AVID system may set an EZ Voter party preference to ‘Other’ by default instead of one of the designated party preferences. This is currently impacting all recognized party preference values.”

AVID — the Access Voter Information Database system — somehow began interpreting certain Republican and Democratic voter registrations as “other,” meaning “independent.” Of note, the secretary of state’s office used only Republicans as an example of affected voters in their email.

“[W]hen processing an EZ Voter registration the party may be marked as ‘Other’ and ‘Republican Party’ is written in. This example record would need to have the party preference marked as ‘Republican,’” said the office. 

The secretary of state’s office explained in a follow-up email that they would provide county officials with lists of the affected voter registration records.

Some voters reported on social media that they ran into issues with verifying their voter registration in the days following the email alerting counties to the AVID issue.

The deadline for voter registration is in less than 30 days, and only those registered with a party may vote in the primary election. Independents have until Feb. 20 to update their party preference. 

Although the secretary of state’s office notified county recorders of the glitch, they didn’t notify the public. On the day they emailed the county recorders, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ account made no mention of the glitch. Instead, Fontes highlighted a local advocacy group, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry of Arizona, for hosting him.

Fontes also made no mention of the glitch in a Tuesday interview with Arizona Horizon. Rather, Fontes took the time to focus on addressing election misinformation, rehashing the recent No Labels Party court ruling, and advocating for treating election threats as domestic terrorism. 

However, Fontes did briefly mention the lack of competence in current election workers. 

“We’re having a tough time ensuring everyone is sufficiently trained and equipped to get the elections done that need to be done for our voters,” said Fontes.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Gilbert Residents Demand Free Speech Justice At Town Council Meeting

Gilbert Residents Demand Free Speech Justice At Town Council Meeting

By Corinne Murdock |

For over an hour on Tuesday, Gilbert residents demanded justice for free speech violations committed by their town’s Office of Digital Government (ODG). 

Most public comment during Tuesday’s town council meeting consisted of community members’ resounding call to end ODG and reappropriate the funds, citing the AZ Free News investigative report on the department. As we reported last week, records revealed that ODG monitored the online speech of employees and elected officials to ensure conformity with a progressive political agenda. 

Several residents also related the report on ODG to their discontent with ongoing investigations into the “Gilbert Goons,” a violent group of teens and young adults behind reported and confirmed assaults on youths in Gilbert and the surrounding areas.

One 16-year resident, Carol Cherry, said that Gilbert was “hardly recognizable” and lacking common sense amid plaguing issues like the Gilbert Goons and ODG. Cherry called for the replacement of ODG with a more clearly defined and transparent communications department, arguing that paying a department to “spy” on employee speech shouldn’t be a government priority.

“Our children are being threatened by vicious beatings and even death by the infamous Gilbert Goons, and now we find out that we have another group of goons threatening segments of our community: that would be the Office of Digital Government,” said Cherry. “These dozen or so ‘thought police’ order supervisors to confront any employee who dares speak against the progressive narrative, even if that speech is on a personal social media account.” 

Mayoral candidate Shane Krauser described the town government’s permissiveness of ODG as irresponsible. He took issue with the decision-making power and authority of unelected officials, referencing Town Manager Patrick Banger specifically. Krauser also criticized the amount of communication on the Gilbert Goons as too little. 

“What we’re looking for here is just competent leadership, and maybe more than that, we’re looking for the individuals who were actually elected to run the government,” said Krauser. “These things are irresponsible from the town government’s perspective, and they’re fundamentally illegal, if they are true.”

Krauser added that $1.1 million was far too great an amount to pay ODG, especially considering the operations and apparent mission of the department. ODG employee salaries amounted to over $1.1 million prior to the departure of two employees within the last fiscal year. The head of ODG, Dana Berchman, made over $200,800.

“Dana Berchman has her own political philosophy that is being advanced through a platform that’s funded by the taxpayers of Gilbert,” said Krauser. “It’s a fundamental violation of the Constitution, it’s a fundamental violation of the rule of law.”

Concerning the cost of ODG, Gilbert’s former mayor, Steve Berman, suggested that the town disband the department and use the funds to pay the salaries of 15 new police officers capable of cracking down on teen violence like that of the Gilbert Goons. 

Berman said it was well within the council’s authority to dissolve ODG, should at least four councilmembers direct the town manager to do so. 

“What gives this department the right to spy on anybody’s Facebook account and then report their results to the town manager?” asked Berman. “I would like to see you disband the department, and take the money that’s being paid now, and we can fund the salaries of 15 new police officers for Gilbert. I think people would rather spend the money on more cops than on a secret police that’s spying on the employees.”

Scott Runde, chair of the Gilbert Town Council Watch Group for legislative district 14, similarly expressed a desire to end ODG and redirect the funds to something else, like a water treatment plant.

Councilman Jim Torgeson proposed the council add an agenda item to review the mission, purpose, and future existence of ODG. It didn’t appear that any other councilmembers backed the proposal. 

Mayor Brigette Peterson asked Town Manager Patrick Banger — who started ODG under inspiration from former Democratic New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg — to look into the ODG. 

Police Chief Michael Soelberg addressed concerns from the residents concerning the Gilbert Goons and teen violence in the town and surrounding communities. Soelberg promised that more arrests would be forthcoming. He emphasized that, in spite of all that had happened, Gilbert remains a safe community.

“Gilbert is one of the safest cities in the country,” said Soelberg.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

SOS Fontes Complains DOJ Not Treating Election Threats As Domestic Terrorism

SOS Fontes Complains DOJ Not Treating Election Threats As Domestic Terrorism

By Corinne Murdock |

Secretary of State Adrian Fontes wants the Department of Justice (DOJ) to crack down more aggressively on threats to election officials.

Fontes revealed his dissatisfaction with the Biden administration in an exclusive interview with The Rolling Stone. He said that prosecutors ought to hit harder and treat the threats as domestic terrorism.

“We’ve got people who are threatening violence or committing acts of violence to achieve a political end,” said Fontes. “How are these people not being treated like terrorists?”

Fontes said that DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland is endangering Americans because has been “far too cautious” when handling threats against election workers and officials. 

 “I have a lot of respect for the attorney general, but he is not being nearly aggressive enough on this threat, which is imperiling our democracy, and he and the department are not devoting nearly enough resources to it,” said Fontes. “It’s a crying shame when they put the physical health of their agency up against their actual duties to protect people and to protect our democracy.”

The secretary of state further accused the Biden administration of taking election officials for granted, and implied that entities like the DOJ owed election workers for getting them elected.

“They have the capacity to serve with honor because we have changes in administration at the White House, different people doing investigations and oversight in Congress,” said Fontes. “They need to prioritize those folks who administer the democracy that gives them that warm blanket that they serve under.”

According to the DOJ, Fontes and federal agents have engaged at least four times over the past 18 months. DOJ deputy chief John Keller told Rolling Stone that the agency has been aggressive in its response to threats against election workers and officials. 

“The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute cases involving threats to election workers to the fullest extent of the law,” said Keller. “Recent convictions and sentences demonstrate that federal courts and the department are taking threats to the election community extremely seriously, and there will be consequences commensurate with the seriousness of the activity.”

The Biden administration launched the Election Threats Task Force in mid-2021. In 2022, the DOJ announced its investigations into over 100 cases out of over 1,000 complaints reviewed.  

Since the ETTF’s launch, the DOJ has charged four individuals for making threats to Arizona election officials concerning the 2020 election: James Clark, Walter Lee Hoornstra, Mark Rissi, and Joshua Russell. Several major threats made by critics against GOP election audit efforts, however, were overlooked.

Fontes also said that he and other election workers were risking their lives every day due to lies about the recent past elections and the elections system.

“[S]omeone who’s listening to that lie, believing it, is so upset about it that they literally want to go kill you. It’s a very very strange place to be as a civilized society,” said Fontes.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.

Superior Court Dismisses SOS Fontes’ Motion To Bar Release Of 2022 Ballot Envelopes

Superior Court Dismisses SOS Fontes’ Motion To Bar Release Of 2022 Ballot Envelopes

By Corinne Murdock |

The Maricopa County Superior Court has denied an attempt by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to bar the release of Maricopa County’s absentee ballot envelopes from the 2022 election. 

Last Thursday, Judge John Blanchard denied Secretary of State Adrian Fontes’ motion to dismiss the request for the ballot data made by election integrity activists: We the People Arizona Alliance (WPAA), represented by failed gubernatorial (now Senate) candidate Kari Lake’s counsel challenging the 2022 election results, Bryan Blehm. 

Blanchard ordered Fontes to work on a solution with WPAA and, at minimum, provide a sworn affidavit of the difficulties his office would have in providing the envelopes. The judge also gave WPAA permission to resolve these difficulties with Fontes or bring suggested remedies to the court. 

“[T]he parties have not had a meaningful opportunity to discuss, test, and explore the stated technological and practical reasons why [the secretary of state] cannot comply with the public records request,” said Blanchard. “[T]he parties shall meet and confer regarding the Secretary of State’s reasons for refusing to produce the data that is responsive to [the request].”

During last week’s hearing on the case, Kyle Cummings with the attorney general’s office claimed that election officials would have to pull each individual voter file in order to access the ballot envelopes. Cummings said that such an undertaking would be far too time-intensive and costly for the secretary of state. 

“The secretary [of state’s] folks who manage their database and their systems said that, ‘Hey, we can’t produce this, it would have to be done individually, we cannot just gather it all together,’” said Cummings. “The secretary’s office does not have the time, resources, or manpower to pull at least one million individual entries for the request[.]”

Blehm countered that a database administrator could “easily” pull that data and consolidate it into one electronic file. He noted that the database lead for the secretary of state’s office should be made to testify on why that isn’t the case. 

“If they’re going to continue to take the approach that they have to run an individual query for each of these five things of data for over a million voters, I would like the opportunity to depose their database administrator or data manager to dive into this,” said Blehm. 

Lake said the ruling was “great news.”

Absentee voting remains the primary method of ballot casting in Arizona. As of Monday, Fontes reported over 4.1 million registered voters in the state, with Republicans wresting the majority from independent voters: about 1.42 million Republicans and over 1.41 million independents. 

Over 1.2 million voters registered as Democrats, over 32,400 registered as libertarians, over 25,900 registered as No Labels Party, and just over 2,500 registered as Green Party.

Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.