Arizona Democrats sue third-party No Labels, Sec. of State Fontes
Mar 30, 2023, 8:09 AM | Updated: 8:23 am
(Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
(Photo by Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
PHOENIX – The Arizona Democratic Party filed a complaint Thursday against Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and newly recognized third party No Labels.
The complaint filed in Maricopa County Superior Court challenged No Labels’ status as a political party, calling it a “dark money” group that wasn’t following requirements.
“No Labels is not following the rules for political party recognition, while attempting to be placed on the ballot alongside actual, functioning political parties who do,” Morgan Dick, executive director for the Democrats, said in a press release.
No Labels said Thursday in a social media post “Trying to silence the voters of Arizona is immoral and blatantly un-American.”
Democrat Fontes, the state’s top election official, notified No Labels earlier this month that it turned in enough valid signatures to qualify for the 2024 ballot as a political party under Arizona law.
He told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on March 8 that No Labels would retain its official ballot status as long as the status was viable.
The complaint said No Labels met none of the requirements, noting that the group was not registered as a political party with the Federal Election Commission.
The document also said No Labels doesn’t limit donations or reveal donors, both of which are federal requirements.
“That is why the Arizona Democratic Party is filing a lawsuit challenging their political party recognition. Arizonans deserve better and voters deserve to know who is behind this shadowy organization and what potentially nefarious agenda they are pushing,” Dick said.
