Three political leaders in Scottsdale sent a letter to Axon Enterprise, Inc., expressing their concern that the Scottsdale-headquartered company is meddling in elections. Three candidates for Scottsdale City Council — sitting councilman Barry Graham, former councilman Bob Littlefield and former state legislator Michelle Ugenti-Rita — accused Axon of funneling money to PACs that attack the three candidates and support other candidates who comply with Axon’s agenda. Axon manufactures hardware for public safety, law enforcement, military, and enterprise security, while also developing integrated cloud software, AI tools, and training solutions.
“[S]enior executives of a major public corporation are attempting to remove local elected officials and candidates perceived as insufficiently supportive of the company’s development objectives,” the candidates said in their letter.
The controversy began in 2024, when Axon, formerly known as Taser International, sought to rezone a 74-acre parcel “for what would have been the largest apartment entitlement in Arizona history,” the three said. The Scottsdale City Council, which did not have a conservative majority at the time, approved the rezoning.
Outraged Scottsdale residents gathered more than 25,000 signatures in order to put the deal on the ballot for voters to decide. However, Axon successfully lobbied for SB 1543, which was passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Katie Hobbs, effectively bypassing the local referendum.
An Axon lobbyist and Axon spokesman started the Arizonans for a Better Future PAC in March 2025. “Public records show the PAC received $500,000 from Axon Enterprise, Inc., $500,000 from CEO Rick Smith, $100,000 from President Josh Isner, and $20,000 from Chief Legal Officer Isaiah Fields.” That PAC attacked Graham and supported Axon-friendly candidates.
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