Axon executives doled out tens of thousands of dollars in campaign cash to lawmakers who pushed through controversial legislation last year to pave the way for the company’s new headquarters in Scottsdale.
In 2025, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1543, which effectively negated a citizen referendum that sought to block Axon from constructing a spaceship-inspired campus in north Scottsdale featuring a hotel and apartments.
According to state campaign finance records, Axon executives funded a new political action committee the same year called Arizonans for a Better Future with more than $1.1 million.
That included $500,000 directly from the company along with $500,000 from founder Rick Smith. Axon President Josh Isner contributed $100,000, and Chief Legal Officer Isaiah Fields gave $20,000.
The Arizonans for a Better Future PAC spent around $567,000 of that money over the past year, financial disclosures show.
Most of that money — nearly $500,000 — paid for voter education, polling, communications and other campaign-related expenses.
The PAC sent the rest, about $67,000, to campaign coffers for the lawmakers who voted for the bill.
Campaign finance reports show the Axon PAC gave contributions of between $500 and $5,000 to 52 Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the Arizona House and Senate who voted for the bill.
That includes $5,000 to Rep. Tony Rivero (R-Peoria), who sponsored the bill at Axon’s request.
The PAC also gave $500 to a campaign for Jamescita Peshlakai, a former state lawmaker who is not seeking election. Her mother, Rep. Mae Peshlakai (D-Cameron), is currently a member of the Arizona House and voted for the Axon bill but did not receive a donation.
Smith, also Axon’s CEO, also made a direct $5,500 contribution to Rep. Alma Hernandez (D-Tucson) and a $500 contribution to House Majority Leader Michael Carbone (R-Buckeye).
Both Hernandez and Carbone also received contributions from Arizonans for a Better Future.
Gov. Katie Hobbs, who signed the bill into law, did not receive any contributions from Smith or the PAC this cycle, records show. Isner did contribute $5,400 to Hobbs at the end of 2024
However, Smith did contribute $4,000 to Congressman David Schweikert, one of two Republicans seeking to unseat Hobbs this year.
The Axon bill is facing a legal challenge by Taxpayers Against Awful Apartment Zoning Exemptions, the Scottsdale group that spearheaded the referendum trying to block the company’s new headquarters. That litigation is ongoing in Maricopa County Superior Court.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to add information about about contributions to Hobbs.
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