CRC in the News: Eastlick on Influencers in Arizona

Last week, in Episode 6 of The State Room, Scot Mussi of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club sat down with Kristen Eastlick, Senior Vice President at the Capital Research Center and Editor-in-Chief of InfluenceWatch.org, to break down the hidden networks of money shaping politics in Arizona and across the country. From nonprofits and foundations to advocacy groups and ballot committees, this conversation pulls back the curtain on how political influence actually works—and why what you see during campaign season is only a small piece of the bigger picture. Kristen and Scot discuss how money flows through complex systems of organizations, how national groups often present themselves as local grassroots movements, and why these networks are so difficult for the public to track. They also dive into how Arizona has become a target for coordinated outside influence and what that means for policy fights across elections, education, taxes, and more.