Every State Has a Swamp: Arizona’s Lobbyist Machine Exposed

State 48 News investigates how lobbyists and PAC money control Arizona’s legislature, revealing which industries fund lawmakers and influence policy decisions.

Wouldn’t you like to know who bankrolls your representatives?

Lobbyists and PACs aren’t just a D.C. problem—they dominate state legislatures, and Arizona is about to be the first test case in exposing their influence.

Turning Point Action (TPA) is taking its PAC-tracking operation beyond Congress and into swing-state legislatures, starting with Arizona. The mission? Follow the money. Political contributions reveal which industries and organizations control policy—whether it’s health care lobbyists pushing medical bills or home builders shaping water regulations.

“Most people think the swamp is Republican versus Democrat. No, it’s actually the people versus the contract lobbyists,” says Austin Smith.

Austin Smith, former Arizona House Representative and Freedom Caucus leader, pulls back the curtain on the state's special interest machine. He tells State 48 News that Arizona lawmakers are swimming in PAC money, with some collecting $30,000 to $100,000 from industries like health care, trial…