For Immediate Release
Thursday, July 13th, 2023
Contact: communications@azdem.org
Arizona Democratic Party Files Complaint to Ensure Voters are Protected from Shadowy Dark Money Interests Breaking Campaign Finance Rules
PHOENIX – Today, the Arizona Democratic Party filed a complaint with the Office of the Secretary of State highlighting the failure of the No Labels Party to properly register and report its donors as a political party. This follows the legal challenge brought by the ADP to the qualification of the No Labels Party itself after it failed to adhere to the rules required by that process. In both cases, No Labels has refused to follow the rules that a political party must follow as they continue to try to game the system to advance their dark money special interests at the expense of Arizonans. Once again, ADP is acting to ensure that Arizonans are protected from these out of state dark money groups seeking to intervene in our state’s electoral process with no accountability or transparency.
First, No Labels spent considerable resources to gather signatures from Arizonans in order to be recognized as a new political party. Yet the group failed to register and report its donors throughout the signature gathering effort. Then, even after the Secretary of State’s office certified them as a political party, No Labels continued to operate without registering and reporting, refusing to disclose even a single dollar of what it has raised or spent.
No Labels is not entitled to special treatment under the law. All of Arizona’s recognized parties are required to register and report with the Secretary of State. No less should be expected of Arizona’s newest party.
“No Labels is not following the rules required of a political party, despite claiming to the Secretary of State and Arizonans that they are a functioning political party,” said Morgan Dick, Executive Director for the Arizona Democratic Party. “That is why the Arizona Democratic Party is filing this complaint – nobody should be exempt from the law, especially not an out of state dark money group. Arizonans deserve better and voters deserve to know who is behind this shadowy organization and what potentially nefarious agenda they are pushing.”
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