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 That mental model would be both outdated, oversimplified, and a major underestimation.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…
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by Matthew Holloway | Sep 27, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Former gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson responded to a report from 12News’ Braham Resnick about the ‘Future Freedoms PAC’ pumping money into Arizona elections to turn the legislature blue. Her answer? Join her Arizona PAC.
Taylor Robson stressed that if successful in gaining control of the Arizona legislature, the Democrats would “turn Arizona into a place none of us recognize,” citing “Higher Taxes,” “More Regulations,” “Open Borders,” and “Rising Crime.”
She added, “This is not what Arizonans stand for, and I will keep fighting to protect the state we know & love.”
The Arizona PAC, launched in 2023, lists Taylor Robson and Tucson philanthropist Jim Click of the Click family of car dealerships as the committee’s leadership. According to the website, the purpose of the PAC is that “to maintain and grow the Republican majorities in the Arizona legislature.”
The PAC wrote:
“Arizona has benefited from decades of conservative leadership and conservative policies. Arizona is a business-friendly, pro-family state that has grown due to a low-tax, low regulatory environment. Thanks to conservative governance, Arizona’s workers have the right to work and our families have the right to choose the best education options for our children.
These priorities and others are at risk if we allow far left policies to take over. Arizona’s legislature is a target of big out-of-state interests hoping to turn Arizona bright blue and make our state the next California with high taxes, high barriers to opportunity and government involvement in all aspects of our lives.”
Taylor Robson was defeated in the 2022 gubernatorial primary election by Kari Lake. Lake went on to be defeated in a highly contested election by Democrat Katie Hobbs with the results of the election marred by litigation for months afterword. Since facing off against Lake, Taylor Robson in turn endorsed both Lake and President Donald Trump following the August primary going into the 2024 elections.
In an interview with the New York Post, she told critics of her endorsement, “It’s a binary choice. It’s Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. You look at the conservative and Republican vision for America or the Democrat vision for America, and they’re two completely different visions.” She added, “Take personalities out of it.”
“I do not subscribe at all to Kamala Harris’s vision for America, which is colossal government, growth of the regulatory state, more taxes now, price controls, open borders, chaos in our streets. That is not my vision for America. I want a safe and secure America,” she continued.
Taylor Robson also took aim at Democrat Senatorial nominee Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) saying , “He, like Kamala Harris, is very much remaking themselves from where they are, right? Ruben Gallego was a member of the Progressive Caucus his entire career in Washington until he decided to run for the US Senate.”
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.
