Finchem raising money for campaign debt that doesn't exist

Mark Finchem is raising money to pay off debt for his failed campaign for secretary of state — debt that doesn’t exist, his own finance reports show.

In a new fundraising email to supporters on Wednesday, Finchem asked people to “donate $25, $50, $100 or more’’ to “stand with election integrity’’ and “fight the propaganda.’’ But it concludes with a disclosure that any money raised will “help pay off campaign debt.’’

But a campaign finance report filed just the day before says he had cash on hand of nearly $97,000 after spending nearly $2.4 million on his campaign.

So where is the money going?

The Oro Valley Republican, who was first elected to the state House in 2014, isn’t saying. He did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.

Finchem also appears to have no ongoing legal expenses.

A trial judge threw out his challenge to the election results, confirming his loss in the November election to Democrat Adrian Fontes.

Finchem filed paperwork with the Arizona Supreme Court seeking review. But the state’s high court threw that out as not being in proper form and he never resubmitted it.

In his fundraising bid, however, Finchem insisted: “I have not conceded this election and we still have work to do,’’ saying he is “calling for a new election’’ though there is no explanation of how he is doing that without a pending lawsuit.

He and his attorneys, though, may have some future financial obligations. The lawyers for Fontes and Katie Hobbs, who was sued in her position of secretary of state, both have asked a Maricopa County judge to award them their legal fees in defending against Finchem’s failed legal challenge.

Lake’s spending reports

Finchem’s spending in his ill-fated political outing for statewide office paled in comparison to that of Kari Lake, who headed the GOP ticket.

She reported expenses of almost $15.4 million in her just-filed report in her unsuccessful effort to be elected governor.

Lake also continues to seek funds from supporters. But these are being solicited not in the name of paying off any campaign debt — her new report lists cash on hand of more than $462,000 — but instead through the Save Arizona Fund, whose website suggests this is being used for her ongoing litigation to have her loss to Hobbs overturned by the courts.

The newly filed campaign finance reports show Finchem and Lake both spent some of their money at the Mar-a-Lago Club to campaign with Donald Trump.

Finchem’s report lists more than $53,000 in expenses to the club owned by the former president. Lake’s campaign spent more than $104,000 there.

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For both, more than just the funds gathered directly from donors were at play in the 2022 election.

Reports filed with the Secretary of State’s Office showed that outside interests spent more than $2.7 million in independent expenditures supporting Lake’s election.

Much of that came from two political action committees, one from the National Rifle Association and another listed as Put Arizona First. The latter, in turn, reports it got money from SPH Medical LLC, though there is no such limited liability company listed with the Arizona Corporation Commission.

But that pro-Lake spending was more than offset by more than $10.2 million in independent expenditures against the former TV news anchor, much of that financed by something called the Republican Accountability PAC. That national organization lists itself as being “run by Republicans, former Republicans, and conservatives who are fighting back against Donald Trump’s takeover of the GOP.’’

Finchem, by contrast, got only a bit of outside help — less than $90,000. But his foes spent more than $4.6 million, including funds from the Republican Accountability PAC and from liberal organizations like Everytown For Gun Safety and moveon.org, whose website says its members “are a force for social justice and political progress.’’

Hobbs’ spending reports

Hobbs’ newest report showed she managed to end the campaign with more than $540,000 still in the bank after spending $15 million in her successful race for governor.

But here, too, outside interests played a big role, with expenditures urging her election exceeding $6 million coming from groups like Living United for Change in Arizona, Stand for Children, and Future Forward, which works against what it calls tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations.

On the other side of the equation, another more than $11 million was spent in ads against her by the Republican Governors Association, the National Rifle Association, and Make America Great Again Inc., formed by Trump allies.

Fontes reported spending nearly $3.7 million in his successful race for secretary of state. Another more than $1.7 million was spent on his behalf by groups like the League of Conservation Voters and moveon.org.

In the race for attorney general, Democratic winner Kris Mayes listed expenses of nearly $3 million, with another more than $240,000 in independent expenses to help her campaign. But there also was nearly $2.6 million spent by outside groups against her.

Republican attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh, who, like Lake, continues to challenge his loss in court, posted $2.1 million in expenses.

Here, too, outside interests weighed in, with nearly $1.4 million spent on his behalf ad almost $1.5 million in commercials by others urging his defeat.

Photos: 2023 Inauguration Day at the Arizona State Capitol