Audio has leaked of a conversation between Kari Lake and Arizona GOP chairman Jeff DeWit that makes Glenn furious. Glenn demands that the RNC come clean about who “back east” tried to bribe Lake to hold off on her Senate run: “Call and write [the GOP] and say, NOT A DIME to any candidate…unless you clean house on this.”
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Now, I want to start with something that I don't think if we were a liberal show. MSNBC, we would be doing this.
But I think conservatives are different.
I think I -- at least I do. I want to know all the bad things that are happening in my own party. Because I believe my own party. Even though it's not my party.
People on my side, if you will, some of them are corrupt.
And I don't have an answer for who did this. But I want you to just ask yourself the MOM formula.
And I'll tell you what the MOM formula is after you listen to this.
It was last year, at CPAC. Kari Lake made a pretty bold statement, and she said, someone in the G.O.P. in the back east G.O.P., tried to bribe me to keep me from running for Senate.
Now, a lot of people can say those things. But do you have the evidence?
Yes. She does. And it was released yesterday.
I want you to hear this -- which was taped, I believe by her.
And it is the voice of the Republican -- head of the Republican Party in Arizona.
Listen.
VOICE: Is there a number at which?
VOICE: I can be bought? That's what it's about.
VOICE: For a couple of years. Getting back to what you were talking about.
VOICE: No. No. 10 million, 20 million, thirty -- no. No. No. A billion? No. This is not about money. This is about our country.
I think it's disturbing that they would even -- that anybody would think this is...
VOICE: I -- to be fair, even me, even me. I'll say this.
I want fresh (inaudible) right now, for the reason, that I've never seen anyone -- I can't even think of a single person in a federal race, who lost, randomly lost. I can't think of it.
If you can think of it, let me know.
VOICE: I'm not going to let these people who hate our (bleep) country, tell me not to run. You should call them and tell them to get behind me.
So what's going on? What is -- I'm assuming this is our friend.
VOICE: Oh, this is -- this is -- this is back east.
They are -- they're very powerful people. They want to keep you out. But they're willing to put their money where their mouth is, in a good way. So this conversation never happened.
VOICE: This is crazy, though. They should want me. I'm a great candidate. People love me. These people are corrupt.
VOICE: Well, maybe you're right.
VOICE: They are right -- they corrupt.
VOICE: Don't go -- this -- if you say no, which is fine, it's your choice. Don't tell people.
VOICE: They're going to have to try to have me murdered.
VOICE: If that stuff that came out last week is right about the cartel stuff. The cartels are operating in 50 states right now. So...
VOICE: So what's going on? Who is it? What --
VOICE: Let me just tell you real quick, let's just say there are people calling around, saying, gosh, look, you can't -- everybody -- if you say no, don't say, I got offered that. Don't talk.
VOICE: Yeah.
VOICE: Because then we lose our ability to get things done in the future.
GLENN: Jeez.
VOICE: Here's my problem. Rather than just say, let's work with her, she's a great candidate -- because they don't own me, and it pisses me off.
VOICE: Yeah, it's not about ownership.
VOICE: It's about control.
VOICE: I don't know if it's about control. It's about being on the team. Like I said --
VOICE: They want to be on the team?
VOICE: They want you to be on their team.
VOICE: But if they're pushing a globalist agenda, I can't do that. So what do they want? What do they want me to do?
VOICE: I can tell you what I can offer you. But I said -- talking -- so the ask of me was, it's confident.
So the ask I got today, back east was: Is there any companies out there, something, that can put her on the payroll, give her, to keep her out?
And I said, well, what do you want to do?
Whatever we need to do.
VOICE: This is about defeating Trump.
And I think that's a bad, bad thing for our country.
DeSantis is not America first. This is about the final deathblow to Trump, and I don't think that's good for our country.
VOICE: I mean, I love Trump.
VOICE: It's not good for our country, Jeff.
VOICE: It's not.
But at the same time, I don't know that -- I think what it really comes down to for a lot of people, it's not really about control or agenda. It's just about the ability to raise money to win.
you know, If you really want to know -- absolutely. And even on their end, what makes them the most money.
VOICE: I know. All these new attendants don't -- want their payday, and I don't want to make a deal with these kind of people. This is a hill worth dying on. I'm not -- if they're going to steal the election to make me and our movement go away, I'm not letting them do that. I owe it to the people of Arizona, to carry their torch and their voice.
VOICE: Or don't go away. Pause.
VOICE: This is -- the battle is right now, Jeff.
VOICE: Pause. Wait for your caucus.
VOICE: No. The battle is right now. The battle is right now, and we don't have time to pause on the battlefield.
VOICE: You're not -- you can't scratch this. It's not for you.
VOICE: Yeah.
VOICE: And they're sitting around. So it's just -- it's a backscratching club. That's all DC is. It's a big backscratching club.
You're no -- you scratch somebody's back -- and you have already made it known, if you get there, you aren't scratching his back. I will scratch people's back. You know, I've been on the outs for a lot of the time. I will scratch people's back, you know. Where are we in two years, if they steal the election again?
VOICE: Listen to what you're saying. Why don't we do something about it? So that we, the people, can pick our --
VOICE: What can we do?
VOICE: I'm not willing to accept that. Then I'm going to be the biggest (bleep) in these people's (bleep) -- I'm running. And I will be the biggest pain in their (bleep).
VOICE: I'm willing to tell them.
VOICE: And they're going to have to kill me to stop me.
GLENN: That is incredible, and incredibly slimy. The name of the guy who is making this offer is the chair of the Arizona Republican Party.
I've talked to some legal experts, they're not sure if this is illegal.
You're not sure if this is illegal? You're offering someone a bribe.
If it's not illegal, it should be illegal!
Some very powerful people want you to step aside.
Some very powerful people do not want you in.
Now, what can they give you to step aside.
Nothing. Money. Jobs. Nothing!
No. We're not -- we're not trying to stop you. Pause. Just a pause. This is in our own party!
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GLENN: Ten-second station ID.
(music)
Okay. So let's ask the mom question of this. Because who is responsible?
He says, it's the power is back east. Some people back east. Now, I think I know who he is talking about.
Because I have heard through the grapevine, for the last few years, about this kind of stuff, not this blatant. But this kind of stuff happening.
Because somebody has a big, huge treasure chest.
Now, the MOM question is motive, opportunity, and means.
Let's ask MOM: Who has the motive to stop Kari Lake from going into the Senate? Who has the opportunity to do it? And who has a giant Senate chest, that has used it in, hmm, I think ways that the average Republican would not be very proud of?
And we have seen this treasure chest used against Republicans, who are the only choice in some states.
Who has the means? Check. I'm thinking of someone. The opportunity? Check again.
And the motive? Giant check.
Now, I have absolutely -- I don't know who you came up with, but I have no idea if that's true.
That's why I don't want to say a name. Because I don't know. But we damn well better find out. Every single person in this audience should be calling the G.O.P. national headquarters today, and saying, what the hell is this?
I'm sorry. I won't accept that you can't find -- for some reason, we had somebody leak a SCOTUS decision!
Put our Supreme Court justice's lives at risk, and somehow or another, they couldn't -- they couldn't get that one or the two people that had access to it.
They couldn't figure out, who it was.
You've got like two to four people, maximum, that had that!
You can't figure it out. Huh!
I'm so sick and tired of this.
Every single person that writes a check, to any G.O.P. person, you should not fund the G.O.P. until this is exposed and cleaned up.
This is corruption, at the highest levels. No. No.
This is -- this is -- what did he say?
This isn't about control.
This is about ownership.
STU: I thought he said, it wasn't about ownership. It was about winning the election.
GLENN: No.
He said it's about ownership. And it's about being on the team. It's about being able to raise money.
Okay.
She said, it was power and control. He said, it's just ownership. They want you on the team. So, in other words. They want to own you.
That's the problem in Washington.
And I'm sorry. We cannot say, we're the good guys, if this stuff is happening in our own party.
This is the kind of stuff, that we all say we're against.
Are we against it in our own party?
Because I am.
I'm pretty sure you are too.
Did you hear how slimy that guy was.
It's not me. It's not me. I mean, I'm just the messenger. I'm just saying. I got a call from -- you know what happens when I get a call from back east, first of all, my gosh. Was Lucy right about, you know, that Christmas is run by the syndicate back east? My gosh. So I got a call from back east. You know what I do with that call? I'm not doing that. Do your own dirty business. Click.
But, see, he has ambitions. He wants to go higher. He wants to be one of the bigwigs, that he can call out west some day and say, look, here's what I want you to do.
Shame on you, Jeff DeWit. Shame on you! Do you have -- do you have no pride? Do you have no love of country, of decency? Do you not know what ethics are? I suggest you start looking them up, Jeff.
Because you're so far away from ethical, it's shocking. This is what Donald Trump is fighting.
And let me tell you: This is exactly the kind of stuff that Nikki Haley allowed to happen, in her own camp.
She knew really bad organizations, and funds that fund the Democratic Party in all kinds of ways. Went to her. And said, look, we'll fund you.
And she said yes!
This is not good, by any stretch of the imagination.
And each of us should be -- in fact, can you get the number to the national headquarters, of the G.O.P., so people can call and write today?
Because you should call and write. And say, not another time, to any candidate.
None!