BREAKING: RETIREMENT MONIES? Kyrsten Sinema Continues Accepting Corporate PAC Money After Announcing Retirement; APS Among Those Kicking In

Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema continued to accept corporate PAC monies last month following her announcement that she would not seek reelection. The PAC for APS was among those contributing to a fund that could help fund her post-Senate life.

Sinema announced her retirement on March 5. In the few weeks following, her leadership PAC ("Getting Stuff Done") took in $25,000 from a total of five contributors.

GSD PAC ended March with more than $360,000 in the bank. And because Congress has not passed bills trying to restrict how that money can be spent, the options upon retirement are very open. 

Currently, Sinema's GSD PAC has spent much of its money on security and travel. In this new report, for instance, Sinema spent more than $5,000 in Paris (France) in February, staying at the Le Roch Hotel & Spa. 

Leadership PACs are not forced to terminate when a member of Congress leaves office. For example, Sinema's predecessor was Jon Kyl. He transferred more than $200,000 from his campaign committee to his leadership PAC, and disbursed it to other candidates and groups.  Arizona Governor Jan Brewer set up a federal Super PAC, and was able to use that to pay one of her children for several years after she left office. ("Gov. Brewer's Super PACs: Retirement Fund, 2016 Run Against McCain, Or Just "Stay Active" Money?")

Other than the Pinnacle West PAC (APS's parent company), PACs for General Dynamics, BAE Systems, Southern Company and Southwest Airlines Pilots each handed over $5,000 after March 5.

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UPDATE: AZGOP Admits Failing To Report and Pay Rent On Office Building For Several Months

The Arizona Republican Party confessed today to the Federal Elections Commission that they failed to report and pay rent "for multiple months" in 2023 due to their "shortage of cash-flow and donations."

The unsigned filing from the AZGOP is in response to the FEC's inquiry about why "limited administrative expenses" were disclosed in the last three months of 2023.

The party says the lack of paid expenses was accurate. "Please note that the Committee had a shortage of cash-flow and donations up until the end of 2023. Rent for multiple months of 2023 was actually paid on January 11th, 2024 and was properly documented and filed in the 2024 February Monthly Report."

Indeed, on Jan. 11, the AZGOP cut a $75,000 check to its wholly-owned subsidiary, "Arizona Freedom Center, LLC" for rent. You will recall that it was just last week that Axios's Jeremy Duda reported that the AZGOP had decided to sell its office space in central Phoenix.

However, paying "multiple months" of rent in January opens up the question as to why those multiple months were not reported as debts owing in the many monthly reports filed since the office condo was purchased in June 2023. Such information is required to be reported to the FEC (and thus, to AZGOP members and the public).

Another point the FEC may follow up on is what other revenues the AZGOP's Arizona Freedom Center LLC is bringing in and what expenses it is paying. The seller, CJR Investments, does hold a $1.3M promissory note secured by a deed of trust on the office. (Duda reports the purchase price was $1.9M, which would lead one to believe the AZGOP put $600,000 down, but is required to make monthly payments.)

Jeff DeWit was the AZGOP Chair until January, and Gina Swoboda is the new Chair. The most recent report shows that AZGOP now has $426,000 in the bank (as of end of February) and reported debts of $62,736. Arizona's Politics tried to reach Treasurer Elijah Norton, and will update as necessary.

This article was reported by Tempe elections attorney - and Arizona's Politics co-founder - Paul Weich.

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