Yvonne Wingett Sanchez

The Republic | azcentral.com

Gov. Doug Ducey, whose campaign reaped the benefits of “dark money” groups linked to the billionaire Koch brothers, is headed to California for a gathering hosted by a Koch umbrella group.

The Republican governor is a staunch defender of the 501(c)(4) groups, which have altered the landscape of political spending since court rulings allowed them to accept unlimited and largely anonymous donations. In Arizona, the non-profit groups have deployed their extensive financial networks to support candidates' agendas and oppose the campaigns of other candidates.

Ducey, who has attended the meetings as governor and as a candidate, will attend the gathering near Palm Springs Saturday and return Tuesday, his spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said. The summit hosted by the libertarian-leaning brothers Charles and David typically draws hundreds of affluent conservatives from around the nation who donate to help finance the group's activities.

Kirk Adams, Ducey's chief of staff and formerly president of 501(c)4 groups Americans for Responsible Leadership and Prosper, also will attend.

The pair is flying commercially and are paying for the trip privately.

“Governor Ducey is looking forward to attending this conference with other elected officials, policy experts, and business leaders from all over the country who are advocates of limited government, innovation and the free enterprise system,” Scarpinato wrote in a statement confirming Ducey's attendance.

A new non-profit wing of the Koch operation that will target social problems such as poverty, educational quality and recidivism rates will be unveiled at the summit, USA Today reported on Friday.