dark money

Secretary of State seeks to make ‘dark money’ even easier in Arizona (updated)

by

dark_moneyArizona’s queen of voter suppression, Secretary of State Michele Reagan, has another massive election law bill moving through the legislature. Buried deep in the bill is a political payoff to the “Kochtopus” and their dark money bag man in Arizona, Sean Noble, who funneled dark money into all of the statewide Republican candidate races in 2014.

The Republic’s Laurie Roberts assured voters that Reagan was going to do something about dark money during the campaign last year. I warned you that Reagan was lying. Since taking office, Reagan has gone out of her way to facilitate dark money in politics and to prevent new disclosure regulations. Thanks for nothing, Ms. Roberts. You were duped and duped voters for Reagan.

Here is Reagan’s latest back-door attempt to aid the “Kochtopus” and Sean Noble. Arizona bill quietly loosens dark money rules:

Read more

Democratic team to run for Arizona Corporation Commission

by

Former Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bill Mundell filed to run for the Arizona Corporation Commission on February 5.  Former state representative Tom Chabin also filed to run for the Arizona Corporation Commission on February 5.  Both are running as Democrats as a team, and both are running as Clean Election candidates. I do not find a … Read more

Competing ‘dark money’ initiative is in the works

by

dark_moneyI’ve told you about former Attorney General Terry Goddard’s Open and Honest Disclosure ballot measure for “dark money” from the so-called Open And Honest Coalition. I find his final product weak tea, no doubt watered down to satisfy his partners, former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson, and Chuck Coughlin, president of HighGround Public Affairs political consultants and lobbyists (and the “shadow governor” of Arizona under Governor Jan Brewer).

I have recently learned that the Arizona Advocacy Network is preparing a competing “dark money” citizens initiative that goes much farther than the weak tea proposed by Terry Goddard.  It also proposes to strengthen anti-corruption laws.

Former state legislators Phil Lopes and Paula Aboud made a presentation to the Pima County Democratic Party executive committee on Monday night to outline the ballot measure, which is still being drafted. The citizens initiative is expected to launch by March.

The ballot measure is tentatively tiled the “Dark Money and Anti-Corruption Act of 2016.” The initiative is nearly finalized and is being vetted by lawyers for the November 2016 ballot.

Read more

‘Kochtopus’ dark money flowed freely to Doug Ducey campaign

by

While Governor Doug Ducey, the ice cream man hired by Koch Industries to run their Southwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Arizona, is attending the Koch brothers annual bacchanal for Plutocrats in Palm Springs, the “Kochtopus” dark money organization that bought him the governorship has now filed its tax report.

Dracula-Untold-Bats

Tax filings by the “Kochtopus” organization American Encore confirm what was widely suspected during the 2014 gubernatorial race: that Doug Ducey’s longtime ally and “Kochtopus” bag man Sean Noble was at the center of the multimillion-dollar dark money campaign that helped elect him governor. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports, Nearly all pro-Ducey dark money in 2014 tied to ally Noble:

According to the Form 990 that American Encore filed with the IRS for the year of 2014, nearly every dollar of the $3.5 million of dark money that was spent on Ducey’s behalf in the race can be traced back to Noble, who serves as the group’s president. Groups that received money from Noble’s organization also spent heavily in campaigns for secretary of state, Corporation Commission and myriad legislative races.

Read more

The ‘Kochtopus’ plots its hostile takeover of America

by

What a shock (not). Governor Doug Ducey, the ice cream man hired by Koch Industries to run their Southwest subsidiary formerly known as the state of Arizona, is attending the Koch brothers annual bacchanal for Plutocrats in Palm Springs.  But of course, he is their bought and paid for lackey.

Cartoon_07

Ducey headed to Palm Springs for Koch Brothers conference:

Gov. Doug Ducey is once again headed off to the California desert to spend some time with the billionaire Koch brothers and the group of big-dollar donors they are gathering at Palm Springs.

Ducey press aide Daniel Scarpinato confirmed that the governor and chief of staff Kirk Adams are headed to the event today and will be returning Tuesday.

Read more