by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Dec 21, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
When people hear the phrase “left-wing political machine,” they probably think of local activist groups, paid protestors, and maybe even out-of-state wealthy progressive donors writing checks from afar. That mental model would be both outdated, oversimplified, and a major underestimation.
What operates in Arizona today is far more sophisticated and opaque. It’s best understood not as a movement (as the Left likes to brand themselves), but as a syndicate: multiple non-profits leveraging tax-deductible contributions to advance shared political goals through a permanent, year-round infrastructure.
Our newly released report, prepared in conjunction with the Arizona Liberty Network, examined the financial transactions between a consortium of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the Grand Canyon State, and illuminates just how far-reaching this system is…in Arizona, this liberal syndicate has its fingerprints on almost every lever of government.
A National Pipeline, Not a Local Movement
When examining the financing of the liberal syndicate, it’s important to note that virtually all of their funding comes from out of state sources. National, and in some cases multinational, donors and foundations are the primary sources of money. The NGO network also utilizes direct taxpayer subsidies through grants at the federal level.
Most of the individual donors and foundations bankrolling the syndicate provide their giving through a financial instrument known as a donor-advised fund (DAFs). A DAF lets wealthy progressives make tax-deductible contributions to a private fund, which then routs their donations to ideological nonprofits.
The other major trough of funding for the network comes from taxpayers in the form of government grants. The most notable federal agency providing these funds was USAID, which contributed over $50 million last cycle to progressive “philanthropic” organizations that then participate in political advocacy in Arizona.
From there, the money gets funneled through a web of intermediary organizations. Arabella Advisors (recently defunct and being replaced by Sunflower Services), Tides, and their affiliated funds dominate this space. These groups aggregate all that tax-advantaged and taxpayer-backed dollars, then redeploy them nationwide. Arizona is one of their preferred destinations.
Our report tracked more than 180 financial transactions, primarily from 2023 and 2024 alone. Altogether, the upstream sources pushed over $1.8 billion into the liberal NGO network, with nearly $200M ending up with organizations operating in Arizona.
So, this is no organic grassroots “movement.” It is a sophisticated syndicate: part tax-subsidized, part tax-advantaged, and built to operate year-round…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Staff Reporter | Dec 17, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Wealthy leftists outside the state are paying big money to deepen the blue in Arizona.
An investigative report by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AFEC) and AZ Liberty Network (AZLN) documented the way national organizations are funding to strengthen Democratic politics in Arizona: Donor Advised Funds, dark-money intermediaries, and teachers’ unions.
AFEC and AZLN found the flow of funds totaled over $1 billion, at least.
Per the report, these tax-advantaged funds don’t arrive in Arizona directly. The millions change hands between different organizations before coming into the state, sometimes multiple times, effectively turning the money dark.
“Money enters the system tax-free, travels invisibly, and reemerges as ‘local’ influence with national fingerprints erased,” reads the report. “The result is a tax-advantaged, publicly underwritten, and union-fueled political machine that dwarfs traditional party structures, and it has reshaped Arizona’s civic landscape. It is not organic, spontaneous, or homegrown—it is manufactured, calculated, and imported, creating an institutionalized system of progressive infrastructure.”
The money flow begins with what the report calls “Upstream Sources.” Two cost-saving vehicles make the funding flows a reality: tax-advantaged Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) and direct taxpayer subsidization available through federal grantmaking. The former includes funds like Fidelity Charitable, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and Rockefeller Advisors. The latter vehicle largely operates through USAID. This agency gave the Tides Center $25 million to combat “misinformation.”
In 2024, the report found the Upstream Sources spent over $33 million in Arizona in non-federal races — a key year for determining which party would control the state legislature.
Altogether, Upstream Sources sent over $1 billion to organizations that acted as intermediaries — “Intermediary Organizations” — such as Sunflower Services (until recently, Arabella Advisors), Tides Nexus, and networks backed by billionaires George Soros or Hansjörg Wyss. Soros and Wyss also act as Upstream Sources.
From there, these funds finally make their way into Arizona. Top recipients that received millions include One Arizona, LUCHA, ACE, Chispa, Arizona Mirror, and the Copper Courier: the “Arizona Groups,” per the report.
The report alleged that the last two nonprofits listed, Arizona Mirror and Copper Courier, are news sites run by “Democratic operatives.”
Arizona Groups spent over $7 million to support down-ticket legislative Democrats, and nearly $5 million against the Republicans.
Further on the report mapped out how teachers’ unions fund local political action committees to influence Arizona races.
“These taxpayer-funded transfers, ostensibly for professional development or services, ultimately help free funds to support the same partisan infrastructure advancing the Left’s political objectives across Arizona,” stated the report.
Additionally, the report noted that the Arizona Education Association shares its headquarters building with other progressive organizations, such as One Arizona.
AFEC’s press release on the report interpreted the flow of funds as national influencing of local issues.
“This isn’t activism, it’s a professional, tax-advantaged political operation designed to look local but controlled from afar,” stated AFEC. “Arizona isn’t changing — it’s being engineered. Conservatives need a clear roadmap, strong counter-infrastructure, and strategic engagement to protect the state’s future and preserve local control.”
AFEC President Scot Mussi told “Winn Tucson” that the report was inspired by the USAID scandal around the time of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. That prompted curiosity about the origins of funding for Arizona’s major progressive political organizations.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Nov 6, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Voters in Mesa recalled District 5 City Councilmember Julie Spilsbury Tuesday night, ending her term in a special election triggered by a citizen-led petition drive.
In early reporting, Spilsbury has received 47.38% of the vote while recall challenger Dorean Taylor tallied 52.62% according to preliminary results from the Maricopa County Elections Department. The election marked the first successful recall of a sitting Mesa councilmember in the city’s history, ending with a concession from Spilsbury.
Early voting data released Monday showed Spilsbury trailing by a wide margin, with Taylor garnering 8,219 votes to Spilsbury’s 7,352. Turnout for the special election reached 16,201 voters as of this report, or 32.93% of registered voters in the district.
The recall effort, which took on a new dimenstion in August when Dorean Taylor announced her candidacy, was launched by a resident named Joanne Robbins and backed by Turning Point USA. Robbins launched the recall based on three specific “yes” votes taken by Spilsbury between 2023 and 2024: approval of a permit to convert a hotel into a homeless housing program, increasing city council salaries, and increasing Mesa utility rates.
In a Tuesday post to X, TPUSA, COO Tyler Bowyer was celebratory and congratulated Taylor on the win: “One of the biggest wins in America tonight, RECALLING the leader of ‘Republicans for Harris’ Julie Spilsbury. Congrats @taylorformesa!”
In a later post, he added, “When you organize effectively, you can defeat both the uniparty and the Left. We help the grassroots solve the problem of fake Republicans. Huge congratulations are in order for our wonderful team who worked their butts off ballot chasing in Arizona! WIN!”
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club also congratulated Taylor on her victory in a statement, “Congratulations to Dorean Taylor on her victory in the Mesa City Council District 2 recall election! Your election win sends a clear message: Mesa residents are ready for leadership that prioritizes stronger neighborhoods, smarter infrastructure, and fiscal accountability. We look forward to working alongside you as you champion better roads, lower taxes, safer streets, and a more affordable future for all families in Mesa. Here’s to a fresh chapter of progress and promise for District 2 and the entire city!”
Councilwoman Spilsbury conceded defeat Tuesday evening and attributed her loss to Turning Point USA directly, “I didn’t lose to Dorean Taylor. I lost to Turning Point,” she told 12 News. “And I think a lot of people in Mesa are going to be mad that an outside group came in and told us how to deal with our city, and that’s not OK.”
“The recall would never have been successful without Turning Point’s employees, over 30 of them, out knocking (on) doors, that are not from Mesa,” she added.
Taylor will be taking over the remainder of Spilsbury’s term, which ends in January 2029, at which point she may opt to run for a full term.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Oct 25, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
In 2022, the Arizona legislature passed—and then-Governor Ducey signed into law—a landmark election integrity bill: HB 2492. Authored by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, the law bolsters safeguards to our election process by requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, ensuring that only U.S. citizens are voting in our elections.
It’s commonsense legislation that is popular with the public and a blueprint for other states looking to adopt nearly identical bills. And why wouldn’t it be? U.S. citizens cannot go into France, Australia, or any other country throughout the world and vote in their elections, so why should citizens from other countries be allowed to vote in our elections?
Yet immediately after HB 2492 was passed, a consortium of liberal organizations and the Biden Justice department sued to stop the law from going into effect. Now, after multiple trips to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, one of which included a bizarre ruling that required an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to let Arizona enforce our proof of citizenship requirements for the 2024 election (which we won), the entire law will now be going to the nation’s highest court.
We are confident that the Supreme Court will uphold the law in its entirety, but one issue about the litigation has been simmering beneath the surface: Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Jonathan Eberle | Oct 25, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Public Service (APS) is seeking to raise electricity rates by 14% starting in 2026 — a move the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AZFEC) argues would unfairly burden Arizona families while subsidizing costly “green energy” initiatives and the early closure of a key coal plant.
According to filings with the Arizona Corporation Commission, APS attributes the proposed rate increase largely to battery storage projects and the early retirement of the Cholla Power Plant. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed an official response criticizing APS for attempting to block the organization’s intervention in the case, while allowing environmental groups such as the Sierra Club to participate. “APS has no issue letting radical groups like the Sierra Club into their hearings, but they’re trying to block the one organization fighting for Arizona families,” said AZFEC President Scot Mussi.
Mussi contends APS’s “carbon free” and “carbon neutral” commitments over the past five years have shaped their energy plans — including their Integrated Resource Plans and large-scale renewable energy projects — resulting in higher costs for consumers. “For years, their voluntary commitments have very likely increased costs for Arizona ratepayers,” the organization said in its filing.
Two days after filing its response, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced it had been officially granted intervention in the APS case. This designation allows AZFEC to participate directly in proceedings, making it the only organization representing ratepayers who oppose the rate hike.
In the ruling, the Administrative Law Judge overseeing the case described the Club as “the lone proponent” of an energy approach emphasizing reliability, affordability, and independence — priorities the group says align with President Trump’s “American Energy Dominance” agenda.
“While others are lobbying to shut down Arizona’s coal plants and pour billions into unreliable Green New Scam projects, we’re standing up for the ratepayers who will be left to foot the bill,” Mussi said. “We’re proud to be the only organization in this case fighting to keep Arizona’s energy secure, affordable, and free from political interference.”
The Club’s participation ensures that Arizona ratepayers have a voice during the proceedings, according to Mussi and AZFEC Deputy Policy Director Greg Blackie. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about protecting Arizona families and ensuring that our state doesn’t fall victim to the same radical energy policies destroying affordability across the country,” said Blackie. “We intend to shine a light on the real costs, the real numbers, and the real consequences of this so-called green transition.”
The case before the Arizona Corporation Commission will determine whether APS can move forward with its proposed rate hike. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club says it plans to continue pressing for “transparency, accountability, and energy freedom,” ensuring that “ratepayers are not forced to fund reckless green energy policies.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
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