Kari Lake’s Profitable Paid Speeches and Controversial Out-of-State Activities Raise Concerns Ahead of Potential Senate Run

Kari Lake, the former television broadcaster and 2022 gubernatorial candidate in Arizona, is expected to become the Republican Party’s Senate nominee. She has also been earning extra money through paid speaking engagements. Recently, Lake received $20,000 to appear at the St. Joseph County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner in South Bend, Indiana. This payment came after she previously disclosed that she earned $75,000 from paid speeches before announcing her Senate campaign. However, this conflicts with earlier statements from her campaign that she did not charge speaking fees.

Apart from her paid engagements, Lake’s assets have remained largely unchanged since January except for an addition to her stock portfolio that includes shares in Trump Media & Technology Group, the company operating the former president’s “Truth Social” platform. Despite not having won an election yet, Lake has faced criticism for spending extensive time out of state while aiming to secure a Senate seat through various endeavors. Her celebrity status has allowed her to profit from these endeavors despite not being elected yet. Once Lake secures the GOP nomination, she is expected to face Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego in a pivotal election that could determine Senate control.