PACs exchange $335K to defeat anti-development slate in Scottsdale
Questions about a connection between Axon and an effort to defeat some candidates in Scottsdale's council race deepened with the filing of new campaign finance reports days before polls close.
At the center of those questions is the exchange of $335,000 in contributions between political action committees in Scottsdale and Virginia, the latest financial records showed.
That cash has been scrutinized by incumbent Councilmember Barry Graham, former state lawmaker Michelle Ugenti-Rita and former Councilmember Bob Littlefield — the slate of candidates that has been targeted by the local Better Together PAC.
In the final stretch of the July 21 race, they've accused Axon executives of pouring that money into the PAC's opposition campaign to install loyalists and sway, or "buy," the local election.
The Taser-maker is one of Scottsdale's largest employers. Its plan to build apartments and condos alongside its new headquarters in north Scottsdale has stirred controversy for years, prompting a wave of anti-development sentiment from voters and council candidates.
David Leibowitz, the treasurer and spokesperson for Better Together, has maintained that Axon is not directly involved in the council race.
The filings don't directly link Better Together's war chest to Axon. But they show how the company executives' money is part of a pattern of payments flowing from one political action committee to another.
Better Together's leaders are Chris Baker, a registered Axon lobbyist, and Leibowitz, a public relations consultant who previously worked as the company's spokesperson.
Both were also behind a similar PAC called Arizonans for a Better Future that received more than $1 million in contributions last year from Axon executives, including Josh Isner and Rick Smith.
Better Future has used those funds to largely support the campaigns of state legislative candidates, namely those who backed a controversial measure protecting Axon's apartment project.
According to the committee's finance report, Better Future made three separate donations in June — totaling $335,000 — to American Perspective, a new super PAC created last month with a post office box in Alexandria, Virginia.
The group did not offer details from public records about its mission.
As of June 30, American Perspective had not spent any of that money, according to its filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Better Together previously reported receiving $335,000, over three separate payments, from another Virginia-based super PAC called National Horizon Inc.
According to National Horizon's website, the group has received investments from across the country and can provide its allies "the firepower needed to win," namely against liberal special interests. It also boasted that it's the "best weapon to defeat the Left."
National Horizon's FEC filings show that it hasn't received any money so far this election cycle, which covers 2025 through 2026. However, it had nearly a half-million dollars left over from the previous cycle.
The sequence of payments between Better Future and American Perspective was identical to the donations between Better Together and National Horizon, their filings showed.
Here's how the Better Future and American Perspective PACs shared the money:
On June 12, Better Future contributed $100,000 to American Perspective.
On June 17, Better Future donated $125,000 to American Perspective.
On June 26, $110,000 was sent from Better Future to American Perspective.
Here's how Better Together got its money from National Horizon:
On June 15, National Horizon sent $100,000 to Better Together.
On June 18, National Horizon donated $125,000 to Better Together.
On June 29, $110,000 was sent from National Horizon to Better Together.
In an email to voters on July 16, Graham accused the local PACs' leaders of funneling Axon's money through layers of super PACs.
"This elaborate scheme shows exactly how far they are willing to go to hide who they are and what they want," Graham said, predicting that American Perspective will spend that money by the general election in November.
On the campaign trail, Graham and his political allies have claimed that Axon is spending "millions" to install "rubber-stamp loyalists" who want Scottsdale to become a liberal city like Seattle or Los Angeles.
Better Together has so far spent $265,503 on communications and advertising. Of that, $52,000 was spent to support incumbent Councilmember Solange Whitehead's reelection bid, while another $10,000 benefited Eric Sloan, a newcomer in the July 21 race.
The rest, $203,503, paid for ads opposing Graham, Littlefield and Ugenti-Rita.
Only Whitehead has directly received a donation, worth $5,000, from an Axon official, whom she referred to as a middle manager. She has stood by her votes to approve Axon's development, noting that she's proud to support a local company that's created jobs for Scottsdale.
"Axon is a global leader in law enforcement. I saved 1,000 jobs, and I protected our neighbors and prevented us from having another trucking depot in north Scottsdale," she said during The Arizona Republic's recent candidate forum.
At the same event, fellow candidate Raoul Zubia laughed off the notion that he's a stooge for Axon when he's never had any associations or contact with the company, let alone campaign contributions.
"I think it's quite comical that they seem to think that we are going to just bow to Axon, when just a few seconds ago, all of us up here talked about limited growth, limited development (and) height density," he said.
Firing back at Graham's comments, Leibowitz said Graham is using the campaign contributions to avoid addressing his controversies and scandals while in office.
"Just because (Graham) wants to shriek doesn't mean I'm going to discuss it," Leibowitz said.
He's previously explained that Better Together is opposing the anti-development slate of candidates "because Scottsdale voters deserve the facts and a serious conversation about the candidates, their records and the city's future."
When pressed about whether there's any connection between the four PACs and Axon, he said, "There isn't."
"You can read the campaign finance filings," Leibowitz said, adding, "No Axon money is being spent on this election."
The post-primary election financial reports are due Aug. 5.
Election day is July 21.
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Shawn Raymundo covers Phoenix and Scottsdale. Reach him at sraymundo@gannett.com or follow him on X @ShawnzyTsunami.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: PACs exchange $335K to defeat anti-development slate in Scottsdale