For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Contact: Morgan Dick, mdick@azdem.org

Arizona Democratic Party Files Complaint to Protect Voters from Shadowy Dark Money Interests Seeking Ballot Access

PHOENIX – Today, the Arizona Democratic Party filed a complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court to protect Arizona voters from dark money interests seeking to take advantage of our democracy and electoral system. The dark money group “No Labels” is engaging in a shadowy strategy to gain ballot access – when in reality they are not a political party. 

No Labels doesn’t follow the rules that a political party must follow. But they are claiming to be a party for the purpose of ballot access, while trying to game the system so they can push the interests of their dark money backers at the expense of Arizonans. 

Under Arizona and federal law, political party committees must meet specific legal requirements and maintain a level of transparency that allows voters to understand their interests. No Labels meets none of these requirements and maintains little to no transparency. 

For instance, a political party must be registered as such with the FEC. No Labels is not registered as a political party with the FEC and, in fact, it is a nonprofit corporation organized under §501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. A political party is subject to contribution limits and is only permitted to take a specific amount of money from permissible donors. No Labels can accept unlimited amounts of money from anyone. 

“No Labels is not following the rules for political party recognition, while attempting to be placed on the ballot alongside actual, functioning political parties who do,” said Morgan Dick, Executive Director for the Arizona Democratic Party. “That is why the Arizona Democratic Party is filing a lawsuit challenging their political party recognition. 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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