Name: Kari Lake Says ‘Powerful People’ Recently Tried to Bribe Her to Leave Politics
Uploaded: 2025-02-18T20:36:21.000Z
Description: Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said during a Saturday speech that she was recently offered a bribe to leave politics.

Stefania Cox is an NTD News anchor and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Stefania anchors "NTD Newsroom," and co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Stefania Cox

NTD Plus

News

News you can trust from the U.S. and around the world. Critical information and insight. We cover the stories that others don’t. NTD News Today airs Monday–Friday at 11 a.m. ET.

NTD News Today

New US Tariffs on Canada Target Risks from Wildfire Management: Economist

NTD Newsroom comprises teams of reporters, editors, and producers assigned to cover breaking news and other stories.


NTD Newsroom

Treasury Blocks Federal Payments to Deceased People

Bessent Considers Sanctioning China for AI Model Theft

Trump Praises Giant Eagle’s Summer Price Cuts

Andrew Thomas is a reporter for NTD News primarily covering business, the economy, and technology. 

Andrew Thomas

Artemis III Mission Remains on Schedule Following Blue Origin Explosion

Rep. Russell Fry Enters South Carolina Senate Race

David Lam is a national correspondent based in California and a part-time anchor for "NTD Tonight." Before joining NTD he was a financial analyst.

David Lam

Advocates in San Francisco Condemn 27-year Persecution of Falun Gong

Iran’s Current Regime Leaders Would Rather Kill Off Their Entire Population Than Surrender: Expert

Authorities Seize Over 1,000 Illegal World Cup Streaming Websites

Mary Man is a writer for NTD. She has traveled around the world covering China, international news, and arts and culture.

Mary Man

World News

Europe

EU Fines AliExpress $600 Million Over Illegal and Unsafe Products

Paul Greaney is an NTD news anchor and producer. Since joining the company in 2018, he has anchored the station’s flagship Evening News broadcast, launched the NTD Business show, and produced documentary reports on pointed issues. 

The highlight of Paul’s time in the field was his coverage of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Paul Greaney

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 20)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 17)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 16)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 15)

Kevin Hogan is an NTD News data reporter and national correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Kevin covers breaking news, as well as U.S. and global current events. He conveys the news through data visualizations and investigates pressing issues.

Kevin Hogan

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 14)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 13)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 10)

NTD News Today Full Broadcast (July 9)

Tom Gantert is a reporter for The Epoch Times.

Tom Gantert

Melina Wisecup is NTD's congressional correspondent based in Washington, covering Capitol Hill and campaign politics.

Melina Wisecup

US News

Politics

Executive Branch

Trump Uses Recent Speeches to Warn Americans of Resurging Communism

NTD+ is a streaming platform featuring exclusive programming, investigative news analysis, and award-winning documentaries.


NTD+

Shorts

Alleged Reflecting Pool Vandalism Caught on Video

Juliet Song is an international correspondent exclusively covering China news for NTD. She primarily contributes to NTD's "China in Focus," covering U.S.-China relations, the Chinese regime's human rights abuses, and domestic unrest inside China.

Juliet Song

Shows

Fast, compelling, first-hand news from China. China in Focus airs Monday–Friday at 9:30 p.m. ET.

China in Focus

2.8 Million People in China Evacuated Amid Typhoon Bavi

Iran's Football Team Leaves Note of Friendship

Joseph Lord is a congressional reporter for The Epoch Times.


Joseph Lord

Congress

House Passes Legislation to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent

The Associated Press is an American not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. 

The Associated Press

Sen. Lindsey Graham Likely Died After Aorta Tear, Medical Examiner Says

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. 

Jack Phillips

Middle East

UN Maritime Group to Rescue 11,000 Sailors Stranded in Middle East

China News

China Floods: Thousands at Risk After Multiple Dams Collapse in Guangxi

NTD Films

NTD+ Movies

The Unrestricted War

Ryan Morgan is a reporter for The Epoch Times focusing on military and foreign affairs. He was previously a news writer for NTD. 


Ryan Morgan

Iran

US, Iran Launch New Strikes; Trump Warns Ceasefire May Collapse

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said during a Saturday speech that she was recently offered a bribe to leave politics.

Speaking at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Lake said that days ago, “powerful people” approached her and tried to bribe her to get out of politics. A rising star in the Republican Party, Lake has been floated as a possible vice presidential candidate or a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024.

“Somebody showed up at my door this week, they called me before and said, ‘I gotta talk to you in person,’ this can’t be done over the phone,” Lake <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1632118938048905227">told a crowd</a> Saturday. “They came to my door and they tried to bribe me [into] getting out of politics. This really happened. I’m telling you this because this is how disgusting politics is.”

Lake did not elaborate on the identity of the individual or provide other specific details about the group. The Epoch Times could not independently verify her claims and has contacted her team for additional comment.

“They tried to bribe me with a job title, with a huge salary, a position on a board—this is how they do it,” she told the crowd. “This person standing before me was sent at the request of some powerful people back east,” she added, without going into detail on the board position or the organization. “They want me out of politics.”

A former local television news anchor in Arizona, Lake stepped away from her longtime job in 2021 to enter the 2022 midterm race for governor of the state. Democrat Katie Hobbs was sworn in as governor earlier this year, although Lake has challenged the results of the Nov. 8 election in the state’s court system and recently <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/kari-lake-takes-election-fight-to-arizona-supreme-court_5094426.html">filed</a> an appeal with the Arizona Supreme Court.

CPAC’s annual conference is known for its straw polls of would-be presidential and vice-presidential candidates. During this year’s drawing, former President Donald Trump handily won CPAC’s straw poll with 62 percent of the vote, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis got about 20 percent.

Lake was the No. 1 choice for vice president among those who were polled at the conference. Lake got 20 percent of the votes, DeSantis was second place with 14 percent of the votes, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was in third place with 10 percent to become the GOP running mate, according to reports.
<h2>What’s Next</h2>
In the meantime, Lake has said that she plans on pursuing her election case in Arizona’s court system, although last month she <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/kari-lake-confirms-shes-entertaining-major-run-if-she-loses-election-lawsuit_5040119.html">confirmed</a> she’s “entertaining” a run for Arizona’s Senate seat in 2024. That seat is currently held by former Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who has not indicated whether she’s running for reelection.

When asked by Turning Point USA President Charlie Kirk if she’s considering a run for the seat, Lake responded: “Yes, I am entertaining it. I mean my number one priority is our court case, and I have full confidence in our court case and I hope we will get a judge to do the right thing.”

“But I’m also looking at what happens if we don’t get a decent ruling in that, and they want me to go away, they want our movement to go away,” Lake <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/kari-lake-confirms-shes-entertaining-major-run-if-she-loses-election-lawsuit_5040119.html">added</a>. “I represent we the people, and if they want us gone so badly that they’re willing to steal an election then I’m not going to let them have that, I won’t go away.”

In December 2022, a Maricopa County judge, Peter Thompson, dismissed Lake’s initial lawsuit in which her lawyers pointed to a range of Election Day issues across Maricopa County polling centers. They have argued that the election should be redone or that Lake be declared the winner.

After appealing to the Arizona Court of Appeals, the court last month tossed her election suit and said she didn’t provide enough evidence.

“Lake’s claim thus boils down to a suggestion that election-day issues led to long lines at vote centers, which frustrated and discouraged voters, which allegedly resulted in a substantial number of predominately Lake voters not voting,” the panel of appeals court judges wrote (<a href="https://www.azcourts.gov/Portals/0/OpinionFiles/Div1/2023/1%20CA-CV%2022-0779%20and%201%20CA-SA%2022-0237.pdf">pdf</a>). “But Lake’s only purported evidence that these issues had any potential effect on election results was, quite simply, sheer speculation.”

On March 2, Lake wrote on Twitter that she would take her challenge to the state Supreme Court.

“We filed our Historic Election Integrity case with the Arizona Supreme Court. Pray for our Attorneys. Pray for the Judges. Pray for Justice. Pray for America,” Lake <a href="https://twitter.com/KariLake/status/1631103854258397184">wrote</a>.

<em>From <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/kari-lake-says-powerful-people-recently-tried-to-bribe-her-to-leave-politics_5100916.html">The Epoch Times</a></em>

Videos

04_Top Stories

Latest Clips

Featured Videos

Kari Lake

News Clips

The 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is held at at the Gaylord National Resort &amp; Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland, from Feb. 19 to Feb. 22, featuring President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), and more.

CPAC

Latest and breaking news, documentaries, movies, and lifestyle content on NTD+.
 
Empower your knowledge and elevate your spirit with NTD+, your go-to destination for truthful news, insightful documentaries, and captivating lifestyle content that enriches your life.

Kari Lake Says ‘Powerful People’ Recently Tried to Bribe Her to Leave Politics

Cary Dunst is the news anchor for NTD Evening News. He is also the co-host of NTD Good Morning.


Cary Dunst

News with integrity, from the United States and around the world. Focused reports and analyses that shed light on major issues the world deserves to know. NTD Evening News airs daily at 6 p.m. ET.

NTD Evening News

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 22)

We present news that is truthful and based on facts, outside of the political fog. Instead of focusing on the negative things happening around us, our mission is to give our viewers a good morning with empathetic and uplifting stories. Our aim is to provide an antidote to negativity by shining a light on the best side of people. We speak to inspiring people who positively impact communities, pursue topics that represent our common human values, and will never miss an opportunity to bring you heartwarming stories.

NTD Good Morning

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 22)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 21)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 20)

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 20)

Chris Beers is an NTD News anchor and political correspondent based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Chris co-anchors "NTD News Today" weekdays at 10:00 am ET.

Chris Beers

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 19)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 17)

Special Coverage

[LIVE July 23 at 11:30 AM ET] 2026 Rally and March to End the Persecution of Falun Dafa

NTD Good Morning Full Broadcast (July 17)

NTD Evening News Full Broadcast (July 16)

Tiffany Meier is an anchor, China news investigative reporter, and producer for NTD News based at the network's global headquarters in New York City. Tiffany anchors NTD's flagship shows "NTD Evening News" and "China in Focus" and co-moderates NTD's special election coverage "The Nation Decides." She produced the award-winning NTD Original documentary "Hollywood Takeover: China's Control in the Film Industry."
