A group of dark money, shadowy progressive organizations are funding media outlets in Arizona, including The Copper Courier and the Arizona Mirror. Many of these groups are interconnected and appear to be attempting to influence elections. They are not registered as political organizations, however, which would require them to disclose financial information such as how much they contribute to Democrats, and that may be because the founders said they believe voters are more influenced by media than political ads.
Arabella Advisors Media (AAM) is one of the key groups backing these types of news sites. The Courier, one of its projects, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Facebook ads during fall of 2022 on the Arizona Attorney General’s race. Most of the ads promoted Democrat Kris Mayes’ record supporting abortion. The ads mirrored Mayes’ “Winning Message” theme for her campaign. Facebook labels The Courier a news organization, but The Courier ran zero ads after Election Day.
Democrats frequently promoted pieces The Courier wrote attacking Republican candidates. Mayes posted its articles on her campaign website. The Courier obtained exclusive interviews with Democratic candidates, including Mayes, now-Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, and failed Maricopa County Attorney candidate Julie Gunnigle.
When it launched, The Courier branded itself as “real Arizona news” — in a Twitter ad over a photo of Utah’s Monument Valley. In multiple tweets, the outlet referred to residents of the 48th state as “Arizonians.”
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