Negative signs and questionable finances in Scottsdale race

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As Election Day Approaches

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OPINION — Barry Graham, Michelle Ugenti-Rita and Bob Littlefield have complained for months about negative signs opposing their campaigns for city council. However, the Better Together PAC hasn’t spent a dime since July 14, before the primary election.

On the other hand, Bob Littlefield recently spent thousands carpeting Scottsdale with negative signs attacking Graham and Ugenti-Rita’s opponent, Raoul Zubia. The claims in Littlefield’s signs were largely debunked by Shawn Raymundo of the Republic in his Oct. 10 article. This hasn’t stopped Littlefield from promoting misinformation on every street corner, or Graham and Ugenti-Rita benefitting.

Shea Boulevard looks like a trash dump – it’s shameful anyone condones this. The hypocrisy from Graham and Ugenti-Rita looms large, when they are directly advantaged by Littlefield’s nasty propaganda campaign.

Concerns about Littlefield’s spending run deeper. Littlefield failed to detail his PAC’s spending in his most recent campaign finance report. I disclosed this violation to the Scottsdale city clerk. Littlefield’s largest donor is the dark money group Public Integrity Alliance, who gave him $10,000 on Oct. 2. Public Integrity Alliance provided Littlefiled over $400,000 to fund the TAAAZE PAC, which Littlefield currently chairs. Littlefield’s other large donors include himself, Barry Graham’s mother, and Graham donor Bob Pejman – the loudest advocate for the controversial, $20 million dollar parking garage shoved into Old Town directly across the street from the Adobe Mission.

Bob and Kathy Littlefield serve as chair and treasurer, respectively, of both Vote Littlefield and Keep Scottsdale Special PACs. Bob Littlefield spent six months campaigning arm-in-arm with Graham and Ugenti-Rita, and Kathy regularly speaks at their campaign events.

This all seems too cozy and raises questions about potential campaign coordination with such incestuous ties between these candidates, PACs and donors. It shouldn’t inspire our trust or votes for ethically questionable candidates Graham and Ungenti-Rita.

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