Public Integrity Alliance

Our Actions

Actions taken by the Arizona Public Integrity Alliance

Complaints, filings, litigation and public statements, with the underlying documents and the news coverage they generated.

Campaign finance complaint against Corporation Commission candidate Ralph Heap (CCEC MUR-26-06)

August 3, 2026Under investigation by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission

In July 2026 AZPIA called on the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission to act on evidence that Ralph Heap, a Republican nominee for the Arizona Corporation Commission running with public Clean Elections funding, had bought and posted as many as 1,000 campaign signs before he qualified for funding and had not disclosed who paid for them.

On August 3 AZPIA filed a formal complaint. Supplements filed August 7 and August 12 analyzed every nomination petition Heap submitted and found that only about 14 percent of his signatures were gathered by Heap, his family or volunteers, while about 46 percent were gathered by circulators tied to the paid petition industry, with no corresponding expenditures reported.

On August 13 the Commission's Executive Director found reason to believe Heap engaged in illegal activity and recommended withholding funds. On August 14 the Commission found reason to believe Heap violated the law and opened an investigation while releasing his general-election funding. In September the Commission rejected Heap's request to leave the program and settle.

Documents

Coverage