by Corinne Murdock | Jan 25, 2024 | News
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.
by Daniel Stefanski | Jan 19, 2024 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
Arizona Republicans are gearing up for the November General Election.
Last week, the Arizona Republican Party announced that it had “set another record-breaking fundraising quarter under the leadership of Chairman DeWit.”
The press release transmitted from the AZGOP highlighted that state Republicans had “raised $670,345.91 from over 7,564 individual donors” in the 2023 fourth quarter.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit said, “As the AZGOP’s leadership, we are fully committed to core Republican values. We are tirelessly raising funds and actively recruiting dedicated Republicans to run for office. Our focus includes increasing republican voter registration, fiercely protecting election integrity, opposing bad initiatives like ranked choice voting, and building a massive get-out-the-vote machine. We are thankful to our wonderful donors who recognize the impactful efforts of the AZGOP, and we are working hard to use those dollars as effectively and efficiently as possible.”
The AZGOP noted that the 2023 Q4 fundraising haul was significantly higher than quarters for “similar periods in past election cycles, subtracting Republican National Committee transfers to show actual donation numbers.” Its news release asserted that the party brought in $186,621.59 in the fourth quarter of 2015, and $340,436.39 in the fourth quarter of 2019.
DeWit and his team will need every possible penny from donors in advance of the onslaught of significant campaigns later this year. Arizona is a high stakes swing state in the 2024 Presidential contest, and the eventual Republican nominee will likely require the state’s 11 electoral votes if he (or she) is to capture the White House. The Grand Canyon State will also feature one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, and both major political parties will be vying for control of the state legislature, where Republicans hold very narrow majorities in both chambers. In addition, there may very well be multiple ballot measures for voters to consider in November (one of which is an abortion amendment), that could permanently change the state’s DNA.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Daniel Stefanski | Oct 8, 2023 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
As Arizonans prepare to head back into an election year, the state Republican Party is celebrating an encouraging quarter of fundraising.
On Tuesday, the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) announced that it had raised over $340,000 in the third quarter of the year (July-September). The fundraising was made possible from the donations of over 2,700 separate donors as well as over $34,000 from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, according to the AZGOP’s release.
In a statement, AZGOP Chairman Jeff DeWit said, “It takes a little while for any new Chairman and executive team to get their footing with the job and the donor base, but our extensive outreach has shown the base that we are using our resources wisely and efficiently. We are building the infrastructure that will win races, and these results are proof that rank and file Republicans, as well as the donor community, are happy with what they’ve seen so far.”
Members of DeWit’s team – Christine Ong Cothrun, Gina Swoboda, and Elijah Norton – were given kudos for their hard work, in addition to the dozens of Republican leaders who comprise the executive committee. The AZGOP’s release revealed that the committee’s “savvy financial decision to invest the proceeds of the sale of the previous party headquarters into a new office” has already “generated over $10,000 per month in rental income from other Republican groups.”
The AZGOP’s release adds context to the fundraising numbers for the third quarter, educating readers to “look at the third quarter of 2019, during the first year under the previous state party Chair and the year before the last Presidential election” to best compare the data. According to the information provided by the Party, the AZGOP raised $248,120 in the third quarter of 2019, which means that the 2023 numbers represent a 37% uptick in fundraising dollars from that year. The AZGOP’s third quarter report also shows a 348% increase in dollars raised from the second quarter.
DeWit and his team will need every possible penny from donors in advance of the onslaught of significant campaigns in 2023. Arizona is a high-stakes swing state in the 2024 Presidential contest, and the eventual Republican nominee will likely require the state’s 11 electoral votes if he (or she) is to capture the White House. The Grand Canyon State will also feature one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, and both major political parties will be vying for control of the state legislature, where Republicans hold very narrow majorities in both chambers. In addition, there may very well be multiple ballot measures for voters to consider in November that could permanently change the state’s DNA.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Corinne Murdock | Dec 10, 2022 | News
By Corinne Murdock |
The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) urged Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate Governor-elect Katie Hobbs’ role in censorship of online speech.
The AZGOP asked Brnovich to determine whether Hobbs violated federal or state laws by using state resources in coordination with the Biden administration to remove posts on her office’s behalf. They further requested that Brnovich obtain the entire trove of communications between the secretary of state’s office and Twitter.
As the Arizona Daily Independent reported, court filings in the case Missouri v. Biden revealed that the secretary of state’s office used a middle man of sorts to censor online speech: the Center for Internet Security (CIS).
CIS is led by a former Obama administration official, and has received hundreds of millions in federal grants and contracts over the past two decades.
Several days after discovery of Hobbs’ arrangement to moderate online speech, Hobbs called on Arizonans during the statewide canvass certifying the election to suppress election misinformation and disinformation.
As of press time, Brnovich hasn’t issued a public statement on social media or by press release to address the AZGOP’s request. AZ Free News requested comment; the attorney general’s office didn’t respond by press time.
While Hobbs hasn’t addressed the controversy over her office’s moderation of online speech, her incoming chief of staff and former assistant secretary of state, Allie Bones, issued a statement to multiple mainstream media outlets defending the arrangement.
Bones told reporters that it was the job of governments, including the secretary of state’s office, to purge the public square of perceived misinformation and disinformation. Bones added that the CIS arrangement was a normal one between governments and social media companies. The chief of staff insisted that their actions weren’t silencing dissent.
“One of the ways we [make sure that voters are informed] is by working to counter disinformation online that can confuse voters,” stated Bones. “This is yet another example of conspiracy theorists trying to create chaos and confusion by casting doubt on our election system. It’s unfair to Arizona voters and it’s harmful to our democracy.”
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
by Corinne Murdock | Aug 20, 2022 | Education, News
By Corinne Murdock |
On Wednesday, the Republican Party of Arizona accused Arizona Department of Education (ADE) Superintendent Kathy Hoffman of being a “groomer.”
A groomer is a slang term for a predatory adult who forms a special relationship with a child in order to manipulate, exploit, and abuse them. The term has increased in use with the popularity of promoting LGBTQ+ ideologies in children.
According to Google search trend data, the word “groomer” has grown steadily in popularity since 2004. Interest spiked throughout 2020, maintaining similarly-high levels in usage since then. Though, the term can also mean an individual who takes care of a dog’s fur grooming needs, and Google doesn’t distinguish those uses in search history.
Hoffman responded to the Arizona GOP by remarking that both her GOP opponent, former superintendent and then former attorney general Tom Horne, and one of his supporters and close friends, former state representative David Stringer, have police records. Stringer resigned from the state legislature after eight sex-crime charges from 1983 came to light, in which several boys had accused Stringer of rape. Stringer was never convicted but entered five years’ supervised probation.
“What does Tom Horne have in common with his buddy David Stringer? A police record,” wrote Hoffman.
The Arizona GOP responded, “Ok groomer.”
Under Hoffman, the ADE has a working relationship with the Phoenix chapter of the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a controversial organization advocating for LGBTQ+ ideologies in children. Hoffman’s also supported the Arizona Trans Youth & Parent Organization (AZTYPO).
Earlier this year, Hoffman opposed bills banning transgender treatments and surgeries for minors, and banning biological males from female sports. She called lawmakers in support of the legislation “bigoted,” and “hateful.”
The most recent controversy over child sexual abuse perpetrated by legislators occurred just last year, when former Democratic state representative Tony Navarrette was arrested for molesting two teenaged boys, ages 16 and 13. He resigned shortly after his arrest.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
