Lauder<\/strong><\/p>\nThe makeup company Estee Lauder will rake in some $15 billion in revenue this year.<\/p>\n
Ronald Lauder has been active behind-the-scenes in politics for years \u2013 with friends in very high places.<\/p>\n
President Donald Trump recently tapped Kevin Warsh as the Fed chairman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWarsh\u2019s father in law,\u201d Fortune magazine recently noted, \u201cis Ronald Lauder, who has known Trump since the two were undergraduates together at the University of Pennsylvania\u2019s Wharton School.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump and Lauder have remained close friends and confidants ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump recently disclosed purchasing between $1 million and $5 million in Axon Enterprise stock.<\/p>\n
Over the last two months, Lauder\u2019s money likely has been put to use to attack the trio of Scottsdale candidates opposing Axon\u2019s apartments-hotel-office plan for North Scottsdale.<\/p>\n
With \u201cBye Bye Barry\u201d signs plastering Scottsdale streets and pop-up ads targeting his ethics violation, Graham has been the subject of Better Together\u2019s roughest and most consistent attacks.<\/p>\n
As recently as July 16, a post and email from Graham called Better Together an \u201cAxon Front Group.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leibowitz told the Progress \u201cAxon is not \u2018officially\u2019 or directly involved in the Scottsdale Council races.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Graham blasted Better Together for endorsing candidates Councilwoman Solange Whitehead, Raoul Zubia and Ethan Knowlden \u2013 \u201call of whom are Axon apologists and apartment advocates,\u201d claimed the alliteration-filled Graham post.<\/p>\n
Better Together\u2019s campaign financial filing lists $52,000 for supporting \u201cSolange for Scottsdale\u201d and $10,000 in support of another Scottsdale candidate, Eric Sloan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The majority of the $265,000 Better Together spent from April through June came to oppose the Graham, Littlefield and Ugenti-Rita campaigns.<\/p>\n
Crystal Carroll is the only Scottsdale candidate left untouched by Better Together.<\/p>\n
Scottsdale ties<\/strong><\/p>\nAccording to Lauder\u2019s foundation, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lauder United States Ambassador to Austria in 1986.<\/p>\n
The 82-year-old Lauder is the son of Estee Lauder and the late Joseph Lauder, founders of Estee Lauder. Ronald Lauder lives in New York City with his wife and two children, according to the foundation.<\/p>\n
Since National Horizon formed in 2012, Lauder has regularly contributed to the super PAC; in some years, he was the only donor.<\/p>\n
According to campaign disclosures, Lauder\u2019s contributions to National Horizon have been: $1.1 million, 2024; $450,000, 2022;\u00a0 $1.6 million, 2018; $700,000, 2016; $750,000, 2012.<\/p>\n
In 2024, the Congressional Leadership Fund PAC donated $1.1 million to National Horizon; Lauder donated $1 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund that same year.<\/p>\n
Scottsdale is hardly unfamiliar territory for the super PAC, which has disbursed funds to Trailhead Strategic Communications. National Horizon\u2019s payments to the Scottsdale-based group have been listed as \u201cpolling,\u201d \u201cresearch\u201d and \u201cpolitical consulting\u201d over several election cycles.<\/p>\n
Trailhead received around $500,000 during the 2024 campaign by Scottsdale resident Elijah Norton, who now is running for Arizona treasurer.<\/p>\n
In filings, Trailhead lists its address as a home near Legend Golf Course in North Scottsdale. The home is owned by Baker, the Better Together chairman and a registered lobbyist for Axon.<\/p>\n
On Baker\u2019s X account, he calls himself president of Trailhead Strategic Communications.<\/p>\n
Baker clearly has a long relationship with National Horizon. The super PAC\u2019s website proclaims its mission:<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a campaign where unions and other liberal special interests are turning the spigot wide open with campaign cash and organizational muscle, groups like National Horizon are the best weapon to defeat the Left.<\/p>\n
\u201c… If you are considering helping National Horizon, you know the races where we are fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a \u201csuper PAC,\u201d or “independent expenditure-only political committee,” National Horizon \u201ccan raise and spend unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals,\u201d the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) notes.<\/p>\n
According to the independent watchdog group Open Secrets, super PACs \u201ccan pour massive amounts of money into advocating for or against political candidates\u201d \u2013 but \u201care strictly prohibited from donating directly to candidate campaigns or political parties.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSuper PACs must legally operate independently of the candidates they support, meaning they cannot coordinate their strategies, advertising, or spending with the campaigns themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018The locals\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\nTThe eight Scottsdale City Council candidates were required to report second-quarter financial backing and spending by July 15.<\/p>\n
The forms cover April 1 through June 30.<\/p>\n
In her bid for a third consecutive term, Councilwoman Solange Whitehead added $41,000 in second-quarter fundraising to the $100,000 she previously solicited.<\/p>\n
Notable Whitehead donors: auction king Craig Jackson, $2,000; Andrei Polukhtin of Morning Vista Homes, $2,000; John Graham of Sunbelt Holdings, $3,500; and Lissa Druss of Riot Hospitality Group, $1,000.<\/p>\n
As the Progress previously reported, Whitehead\u2019s first-quarter donor list was topped by Axon executive Mike Wagers, who contributed $5,000 to the councilwoman who supported Axon\u2019s controversial development plan.<\/p>\n
The political action committees Realtors of Arizona, $8,000, and Glendale Firefighters, $6,750, also wrote checks to \u201cSolange for Scottsdale\u201d in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Whitehead spent $82,000 in the second quarter, with most to have signs printed and installed around Scottsdale.<\/p>\n
Councilman Barry Graham, also running for reelection, added $54,500 in fundraising in the second quarter, bringing his campaign pass-the-hat total to $142,275.<\/p>\n
Chris Balestrino of Redycap, who gave $5,000 topped Graham’s donor list. Two from Baker Development combined to contribute $3,500 to Graham.<\/p>\n
He also received $6,750 from the Glendale Firefighters PAC.<\/p>\n
Graham spent $49,000, bringing his campaign spending total to just over $100,000. His biggest expense was $77,000 to Primary Consulting.<\/p>\n
Michelle Ugenti-Rita, a former state representative, hit her old contacts to raise $58,000 in the second quarter, upping her year-to-date total to over $95,000.<\/p>\n
Caryn and Michael Borland of Prescott each wrote max checks of $6,750 to Ugenti-Rita. Lawrence Heitz chipped in $5,208 to \u201cMUR for Scottsdale.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ugenti-Rita spent $47,000 in the second quarter, raising her campaign spending to $59,000.<\/p>\n
Raoul Zubia, who failed in a previous run for City Council, raised $54,000 in the second quarter, bringing his campaign total to $88,000.<\/p>\n
One of his biggest contributors was Lissa Druss of Riot Hospitality Group, who pitched in $1,000.<\/p>\n
Zubia received $16,000 from PACs, landing $6,750 from the Glendale Firefighters and $8,000 from Realtors of Arizona.<\/p>\n
Zubia spent $34,617 in the second quarter, raising his campaign spending to $58,720.<\/p>\n
Most of his spending came for signs, consulting and mailing.<\/p>\n
After carrying over just under $30,000 from the first quarter, Ethan Knowlden raised another $49,756 \u2013 with nearly half coming from a $20,000 loan Knowlden gave to his campaign.<\/p>\n
The Realtors of Arizona PAC contributed $8,000 to Knowlden, with North Scottsdale Democrats PAC tossing $1,500 his way.<\/p>\n
Knowlden spent $30,000 on printing and a combined $15,000 on advertising and consulting.<\/p>\n
Eric Sloan raised $38,000 in the second quarter, bringing his year-to-date total over $66,000.<\/p>\n
Les Corieri, owner of Bottled Blonde and several other bars in the Entertainment District, gave Sloan a max donation of $6,750.<\/p>\n
Sloan reported spending $40,000, with $26,000 to Roosevelt Strategy Group for consulting.<\/p>\n
After raising just $8,000 in the first quarter, former Councilman Bob Littlefield beat the drum for $26,250 in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Littlefield received $1,000 contributions from three retired Scottsdale residents and $6,750 from the Glendale Firefighters PAC.<\/p>\n
Littlefield reported spending just under $8,000 in the second quarter, raising his campaign total to a modest $11,524.<\/p>\n
Crystal Carroll, an Old Town cafe owner, finished the first quarter with $18,600. She raised a modest $5,834 and spent just under $9,000 in the second quarter.<\/p>\n
Where to vote<\/strong><\/p>\nYou can drop off your voted mail ballot at the following locations through Monday, July 20:<\/p>\n
Scottsdale City Hall, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.<\/p>\n
Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center, 510 S. 3rd Ave. Phoenix. Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.<\/p>\n
Maricopa County Recorder\/Elections, 222 E. Javelina Ave., Mesa. Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week starting Wednesday, June 24.<\/p>\n
Scottsdale City Hall and 20 other in-person voting locations will be open on Election Day, Tuesday, July 21, from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.<\/p>\n
For more information, including complete lists of drop-off locations and polling places, visit scottsdale.vote or elections.maricopa.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u00a0 \u00a0 If the Scottsdale City Council election seems to have an unusual gloss, it may be the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":944972,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5131],"tags":[5229,5643,380489,1587,166900,166898,5310,304829,380491,189048,270103,1589,380490,7600,46683,152497,380488,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":["post-944971","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-phoenix","tag-america","tag-arizona","tag-arizona-pac","tag-az","tag-barry-graham","tag-bob-littlefield","tag-city-council","tag-crystal-carroll","tag-david-leibowitz","tag-estee-lauder","tag-michelle-ugenti-rita","tag-phoenix","tag-ronald-lauder","tag-scottsdale","tag-scottsdale-city-council","tag-solange-whitehead","tag-the-este-lauder-companies","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=944971"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/944971\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/944972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=944971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=944971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=944971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}