Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA hit with accusations it violated election law

A student-led Democratic PAC has filed a complaint against Turning Point USA’s political arm, accusing it of violating Arizona’s dark money disclosure law by not revealing its funders who are providing money to run a campaign backing U.S. Rep. Andy Biggs’ bid for governor.

The Voters’ Right to Know Act, or Proposition 211, was overwhelmingly passed by voters in 2022 with the aim of eliminating anonymous election spending. It requires entities that spend at least $50,000 in statewide or legislative campaigns reveal the identities of individual contributors who give more than $5,000. Individuals who give $2,500 or more in local elections have to disclose their names, mailing addresses and employers.

Unity Rising USA’s Executive Director, Jacob George, filed the complaint Thursday against Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC, which have been spending heavily to support Biggs. The veteran congressman is seeking the GOP nomination against businesswoman Karrin Taylor Robson.

“Failing to properly disclose donors undermines the fairness and honesty Arizonans deserve from candidates and the partners supporting them,” George said in a press release announcing the complaint. “This isn’t the first time Turning Point has failed to follow the rules, and it probably won’t be the last.”

The complaint alleges that the two political advocacy arms of TPUSA have not filed the needed financial disclosures that are required under the Voters’ Right to Know Act which requires that the identities of each donor who contributes “directly or indirectly” more than $5,000 for campaign media spending to be revealed in a report that is available to the public.

“Despite this obligation, as of the date of this complaint, neither TPA nor TPP has filed a single report under the ACT,” the complaint says. “And while TPP’s federal PAC reports indicate that it has donors under $5,000 who need not be listed on Act reports, it indisputably has donors above that threshold who are reportable.”

Turning Point Action recently also gave $500,000 to Turning Point PAC to spend on media buys to support Biggs for Governor.

“Along with this contribution, TPA was obligated to provide TPP with the names of its own donors who gave TPA over $2,500, so that TPP can report subdonors as required under the Act, all the way back to original sources,” the complaint says. “But instead, TPP’s failure to file any Act reports has resulted in the nondisclosure of TPA at all, much less its original sources.”

The complaint also notes that none of the public communications by either entity include the names of the top three donors as is required under the Act. The Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission is tasked with enforcing the dark money disclosure rules.

Turning Point Action did not respond to a request for comment on the complaint.

If the Citizens Clean Elections Commission deems the complaint to be valid, it will have 14 days to then send a copy of the complaint to Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC. The Commission can set a deadline for them to respond of up to 30 days; not responding can be seen as an admission of guilt.

If Turning Point Action and Turning Point PAC are found to be in violation, then the commission can enforce civil penalties or seek relief in court. Those civil penalties can be up to three times the amount of the improper contribution.

If the organizations are found to be in violation, it would not be the first time. Last year, Turning Point Action was fined $18,000 by the Federal Elections Commission for failing to disclose more than $33,000 in contributions, and in 2022, the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office investigated them for possible campaign finance violations.

Some allegations of campaign finance impropriety go back as far as 2017, and the organization has always been secretive about its donors.

“Regardless of party, I think Arizonans expect everyone to play by the rules, especially after the years spent by Turning Point leadership decrying non-existent fraud in Maricopa County,” George said in the press release about the complaint.