News Conference Tuesday: Let Voters Decide Dark Money Not Governor Ducey

**News Conference**

Tuesday, August 23rd

11:00am in Phoenix

The Governor Wants To Take Away AZ’s Right To Vote On Anti-Dark Money Ballot Initiative

A bi-partisan coalition of Arizona residents, business leaders, and political leaders will hold a news conference on Tuesday, August 23rd 11:00am at 668 North 44th Street at the Outlier Center (near 44th and Van Buren) responding to Governor Doug Ducey’s attempts to prevent the people of Arizona from voting on a measure that would outlaw Dark Money in the state.

Ducey recently filed a brief with the Arizona Supreme Court trying to invalidate circulators for a ballot measure calling for transparency in political spending.

The Arizona Free Enterprise Club, a dark money organization, filed the lawsuit to kick the measure that would ban anonymous political spending off the Arizona ballot. This group was joined on Saturday by Governor Ducey and the leadership of the Arizona Legislature. The question now goes before the Arizona Supreme Court where five of the seven judges are Ducey appointees.

The stop Dark Money initiative has over 85% support among Arizona voters according to recent polling. Ducey and other opponents will try anything to keep Arizonans from voting on the measure.

Indeed, Ducey and his allies have used Dark Money to influence tax policy, limit education spending, and get like-minded politicians elected. Ducey got elected governor in 2014 with the help of millions spent by outside groups both supporting his election and running commercials attacking his opponent.

On Tuesday August 23rd at 11am former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard (D), former Paradise Valley Mayor and congressional candidate Vernon Parker (R), former GOP Corporation Commissioner and State Senator Bob Burns (R), former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson (I), Arizona business leader David Tedesco, and other supporters of the Voters’ Right to Know Act will hold a news conference to react to this latest effort to suppress a highly popular ballot initiative. Supporters will also disclose its major contributors, including prominent business leaders, who support the Voters’ Right to Know Act.

Who: Former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard (D), former PV Mayor and congressional candidate Vernon Parker (R), former AZ Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns (R), former Phoenix mayor Paul Johnson (I), business leader David Tedesco, and others.

What: Supporters of the Voters’ Right to Know Act react to the latest shenanigans from Gov. Ducey

When: August 23rd at 11:00 am

Where: 668 North 44th Street– the Outlier Center near 44th and Van Buren (West-end of the building)

The Governor’s legal challenge alleges the notarization rules that petition circulators were required to follow were somehow insufficient even though Governor Ducey personally signed off on those very rules. He wants to change the rules after the game is played!

Dark Money is political spending on Arizona election advertising by anonymous donors. Current Arizona law allows anonymous donors to spend unlimited amounts of money to sway the vote. It has been used for years to launder political contributions to keep voters from knowing who is spending money and why. For more information go to www.StopDarkMoney.com.