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{{Show badges| Koch Exposed}}[[File:Sean_noble.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Sean Noble]]'''Sean Noble''' is a former Congressional Aid and GOP consultant who served as the Chief Executive Director/President of Staff for Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ) for over a decade <ref>[http://dc-london.com/ DC London homepage[American Encore]], accessed June 3, 2013.</ref> before entering the nonprofit world in 2009 and becoming formerly known as the Executive Director/President of [[Center to Protect Patient Rights|Center to Protect Patient Rights]](CPPR), a "dark money" 501(c)4 linked to conduit for the 2011 largest campaign finance money laundering scheme in California.<ref name="Campaign Money Laundering Scheme">Andy Kroll, [http://www.motherjonesKoch donors network.com/mojo/2012/11/california-americans-responsible-leadership-donation-jerry-brown Campaign Money Laundering Scheme revealed, kind of], ''Mother JonesThe New York Times'', November 5, 2012.</ref> In his position has described the CPPR as Chief "one of Staff to Congressman Shadegg in 2008, Noble earned $87,000 a year, and when he transitioned into his role the largest political nonprofits in the nonprofit arena in 2009country, bought serving as a rowhouse on Capitol Hill and an eight-bedroom home conduit for tens of millions of dollars in Utahpolitical spending, amounting to a value much of over one million dollarsit raised by the Kochs and their political operation."<ref name="Secret Political Cash">Alison Fitzgerald and Jonathan D. SalantNicholas Confessore, "[http://www.businessweeknytimes.com/news2013/2012-10/25/us/politics/group-14/secretlinked-politicalto-cashkochs-movesadmits-throughto-nonprofitcampaign-daisyfinance-chain#p2 Secret Political Cash Moves Through Nonprofit Daisy Chainviolations.html?ref=sunday Group Linked to Kochs Admits to Campaign Finance Violations], " ''BloombergBusinesweekNew York Times'', October 1524, 2013. Accessed June 11, 20122014.</ref> [[File:Sean_noble.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Sean Noble]]

In addition The CPPR funneled more than $182 million in undisclosed donations to his role with CPPR and Presidency of Noble & Associatesright-wing advocacy groups from 2009 to 2012, Noble owns and serves as the President for DC London, Inc., a political consulting group based out of Arizona and D.C. which mysteriously uses the same founding address as including [[American CommitmentAmericans for Prosperity]] and the [[Free Enterprise AmericaAmerican Future Fund]]. <ref name="Exclusive - CPPR gave Millions in 2011 to Outside Spenders in Elections"> Viveca NovakPatrick O'Connor, "[http://wwwblogs.opensecretswsj.orgcom/newswashwire/20122014/03/1225/centersen-franken-draws-toattack-protectad-patientfrom-rightsamerican-gaencore/ Sen.html Center to Protect Patients' Rights Gives Millions to outside Spenders in ElectionsFranken Draws Attack Ad From American Encore], ''OpenSecrets.org''" Wall Street Journal, December 17March 25, 20122014.</ref> Noble has also been identified The Washington Post described it as a member of "major cash turnstile for groups on the right during the board for American Commitmentpast two election cycles, another dark " because it received large amounts of money 501(c)4 organizationfrom [[Freedom Partners]] and [[TC4 Trust]] as part of the $400 million [[Koch brothers|Koch]] political network. <ref name=>Matea Gold, "Exclusive [http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/koch-backed-political-network-built-to-shield-donors-raised-400-million- CPPR gave Millions in 2011 -2012-elections/2014/01/05/9e7cfd9a-719b-11e3-9389-09ef9944065e_story.html Koch-backed political coalition, designed to Outside Spenders shield donors, raised $400 million in Elections2012],"Washington Post, January 5, 2014.</ref>

Noble has been cited as a "Koch operative," who has participated in annual Koch donor meetings, speaking on issues such as voter attitudes and electoral mapping of upcoming elections.<ref name="Kochs brothers' plan for 2012: raise $88 million"> Kenneth Vogel and Ben Smith, "[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49303_Page4.html Koch Brothers' plan for 2012: raise $88 million], " ''Politico'', Accessed June 4, 2013.</ref> [[Koch Industries]] spokesman [[Rob Tappan]] told ''ProPublica'' in 2014 that Noble "was a consultant for Koch in the past and attended Koch seminars."<ref name="dark money man"/> Some have suggested that Noble may have come into contact with the Koch brothers through consulting work for Shadegg donor [[Randy Kendrick]], who sits on the board of the [[Goldwater Institute]] and is reportedly "close to the Koch brothers."<ref name="dark money man"/> While Noble has declined to say who hired him as the executive director for the CPPR when it was founded in 2009, by 2010 he was deeply involved in the [[Koch network]], ''ProPublica'' reported::One national conservative operative said he heard about Noble and the Center in conversations in early 2010 about who was doing what that year. “They were going to be the primary vehicle for the Koch money, for the Koch network,” the operative told ''ProPublica''.<ref name="dark money man"/> ===Role in 2012 California Campaign Spending Scandal=== The Center to Protect Patient Rights and its affiliated organizations played important roles in the Koch network's 2012 election spending, and according to ''ProPublica'' "Noble was a key player in expanding the network’s complicated web of nonprofits and limited liability companies."<ref name="dark money man"/> Writing about the [[American_Encore#.22Campaign_Money_Laundering.22_Investigation|California "dark money" campaign finance scheme]], ''The Washington Post'' noted Noble's central role in helping Republican strategist Tony Russo pay for issue ads without disclosing donor names::"[Russo] turned for help to Sean Noble, a GOP operative plugged into a national network of conservative groups. The two agreed to a money swap: Russo sent money to an Arizona group that Noble ran, in the hopes that Noble would get other organizations to send similar amounts back into California, masking the original donors. :“I said, ‘Sean, you know, I have a big hiccup in California,’ ” Russo later recounted for state investigators. “ ‘Can we support some of your national efforts and, in turn, do you have groups that can help us in California?’ That was pretty much as simple as it was.”"<ref>Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger, "[http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/california-donor-disclosure-case-exposes-how-nonprofits-play-in-politics/2013/11/04/70e0b7ac-4246-11e3-a624-41d661b0bb78_story.html California donor disclosure case exposes how nonprofits can play in politics]," ''Washington Post'', November 4, 2013. Accessed June 11, 2014.</ref> The CPPR was investigated along with [[Americans for Responsible Leadership]] for violating the California Political Reform Act. The two groups reached a record $1 million settlement in the case.<ref name="AG"/> The CPPR is now known as [[American Encore]]. ===Participation in Koch summits=== Noble has participated in a number of the [[Koch network]]'s semiannual summit meetings. In 2010, Noble sat on a panel with [[Americans for Prosperity]] director [[Art Pope]], a former right-wing legislator and founder of right-wing [[John Locke Foundation]], ; GOP operative [[Jim Ellis]] , who was [http://news.findlaw.com/nytimes/docs/delay/delay92805ind.html indicted] in 2005 for an alleged scheme to use corporate political donations illegally to support candidates, ; and [[Ed Gillespie]] who co-founded [[Crossroads GPS]] with [[Karl Rove]].<ref name="Kochs brothers' plan for 2012: raise $88 million"/> Also in 2010, Noble presented a panel entitled "Mobilizing Citizens for November" with fellow panelists: Karl Crow of [[Themis]], a [[Koch Industries]]-backed voter database; Mark Mix of the [http://www.nrtw.org/en/about National Right to WorkCommittee], an anti-union legal defense networkand policy shop; and [[Timothy R. Phillips|Tim Phillips]], president of [[Americans for Prosperity]] which was founded by [[David Koch]] and [[Richard Fink]] <ref name="Agenda and Invitation to Koch Summit">[http://images2.americanprogressaction.org/ThinkProgress/secretkochmeeting.pdf Agenda and Invitation to Koch Summit], Accessed June 4, 2013</ref> The topic of this their panel was summarized as a "strategic plan" to back leaders and voters for a new administration that is committed to liberty and prosperity.  In addition, Noble was listed as a speaker for the 2011 Koch Summit in Rancho Mirage, California. ==Background==Noble has described himself as having been interested in politics at an early age.:"I was involved in politics at a very young age. As a 10 yr-old in 1980, my mom sat me down with a phone list and told me to “call these people and tell them to vote for Ronald Reagan.” It was all the Republicans in Navajo County in Arizona - and it took me less than an hour because there were so few Republicans."<ref>Lisa De Pasquale, "[http://townhall.com/columnists/lisadepasquale/2014/05/30/de-pasquales-dozen-with-sean-noble-of-american-encore-n1844512 De Pasquale's Dozen With Sean Noble Of American Encore]," ''TownHall.com'', May 30, 2014. Accessed June 11, 2014.</ref> Since his youth in small-town Arizona, Noble has favored far-right ideas, according to ''ProPublica'', and he joined conservative circles once he went to DC::"In 1994, when he was 24, Noble attended Rush Limbaugh’s freshman orientation in Baltimore for the 73 Republican members of Congress who had gained office in the so-called Republican Revolution. When he was 37, Noble was among the 2,200 mourners at William F. Buckley’s funeral at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan."<ref name="dark money man"/> In addition to his role with CPPR and Presidency of Noble & Associates, Noble owns and serves as the President for DC London, Inc., a political consulting group based out of Arizona and D.C. which shares its address in DC with [[American Commitment]] and its address in Phoenix with [[Free Enterprise America]].<ref name="Exclusive - CPPR gave Millions in 2011 to Outside Spenders in Elections"> Viveca Novak, [http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2012/12/center-to-protect-patient-rights-ga.html Center to Protect Patients' Rights Gives Millions to outside Spenders in Elections], ''OpenSecrets.org'', December 17, 2012.</ref> Noble has also been identified as a member of the board for American Commitment, another dark money 501(c)4 organization.<ref name="Exclusive - CPPR gave Millions in 2011 to Outside Spenders in Elections"/> According to his online profile on LinkedIn, Noble worked as a Consultant for the [[National Republican Congressional Committee]] from 1999-2000, as a consultant for [[Tom Coburn]] for U.S. Senate from September 2004 to November 2004, as the Victory Chairman for the Arizona Republican Party from September 2006 to November 2006, the Chief of Staff for Congressman [[John Shadegg|Shadegg]] from January 1995-June 2008, as Consultant/Campaign Manager for John Shadegg's Friends from June 2008-November 2008, and as the President of Noble & Associates from June 2008-December 2010. <ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=2572066&authType=NAME_SEARCH&authToken=_4Ng&locale=en_US&srchid=2ac20cab-9302-4904-ac43-12b0b0def295-0&srchindex=4&srchtotal=288&goback=%2Efps_PBCK_sean+noble_* Sean Noble LinkedIn Profile], ''Online Social Media Profile'', accessed June 6, 2013.</ref> ==High Pay for Nonprofit Work== According to a ''ProPublica'' report, "One of the biggest beneficiaries of the Koch network’s money was Sean Noble himself...The Center paid three firms owned by Noble almost $24 million for consulting and other services in 2012—or more than $1 of every $6 it spent."<ref name="dark money man"/> In his position as Chief of Staff to Congressman Shadegg in 2008, Noble earned $87,000 a year. But when he transitioned into his role in the nonprofit arena in 2009, Noble bought a rowhouse on Capitol Hill and an eight-bedroom home in Utah, amounting to a value of over one million dollars.<ref name="Secret Political Cash">Alison Fitzgerald and Jonathan D. Salant, [http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-14/secret-political-cash-moves-through-nonprofit-daisy-chain#p2 Secret Political Cash Moves Through Nonprofit Daisy Chain], ''BloombergBusinesweek'', October 15, 2012.</ref> Court records show that he made over $2.3 million in 2011.<ref>Kim Barker and Theodoric Meyer, "[http://www.propublica.org/article/the-dark-money-man-how-sean-noble-moved-the-kochs-cash-into-politics-and-ma The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs’ Cash into Politics and Made Millions]," ''ProPublica'', February 14, 2014.</ref> As the President and Executive Director of [[Center to Protect Patient Rights|CPPR]] in 2009<ref name="CPPR 2009 IRS 990">[http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2009/264/683/2009-264683543-06990927-9O.pdf IRS reported compensation to Noble in 2009], ''2009 IRS 990 for CPPR'', accessed June 6, 2013.</ref> , 2010<ref name="CPPR 2010 IRS 990">[http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2010/264/683/2010-264683543-07cd3457-9O.pdf IRS reported compensation to Noble in 2010], ''2010 IRS 990 for CPPR'', accessed June 6, 2013.</ref> and 2011<ref name="CPPR 2011 IRS 990">[http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/264/683/2011-264683543-08dcc3a2-9O.pdf IRS reported compensation to Noble in 2011], ''2011 IRS 990 for CPPR'', accessed June 6, 2013.</ref>, despite working a reported 40 hours a week, Noble apparently received $0 in compensation from CPPR, according to the organization's tax filings. Instead, CPPR paid out $190,000 to Noble & Associates, listing Sean Noble as the interested person receiving those funds in 2009 for Management and Fundraising services<ref name="CPPR 2009 IRS 990"/>. It also paid $340,000 to Noble & Associates for Management Services in 2010<ref name="CPPR 2010 IRS 990"/>, and in 2011 paid $477,531 to Noble & Associates for consulting and an additional $2,645,000 to D.C. London, Inc., the consulting firm Noble founded.<ref name="CPPR 2011 IRS 990"/>

According to FEC reports, Noble has spent over $21,350 in political contributions, naming himself in with a variety of titles per contributionon disclosure forms. <ref> [http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/qind/ FEC Political Committee Contributions from Sean Noble]</ref> In 2006, from his position as Arizona Republican Party "Victory Chairman," he contributed $250 to Graf for Congress. <ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?26940797232 FEC filing for Graf for Congress 2006]</ref> In 2008, Noble made contributions to Political Committee "[[David Schweikert ]] (R-AZ) for Congress" in the amount of $2000 in his position as Chief of Staff for Congressman Shadegg. <ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28993694339 Contribution to PAC for David Schweikert]</ref>. Also in 2008:

*$500 to "[[Allen West ]] for Congress" as Sean Noble, self employed consultant<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?28933497579 Contribution to PAC for Allen West]</ref>

*$1000 to PAC "John Shadeggs Friends," naming himself as Consultant for Noble & Associates <ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?29992951209 2009 PAC contribution to Shadeggs Friends]</ref>*another $250 to "John Shadeggs Friends," as consultant for Noble & Associates <ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?29934278721 2009 Contribution to PAC for Shadegg]</ref>*$1200 to "Coburn for Senate 2010," as consultant for Noble Associates LLC<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?29020303068 2009 Contribution to PAC for Coburn]</ref>*$500 to "Robert Hurt for Congress," as self-employed consultant<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?10990230229 2009 Contribution to PAC for Robert Hurt]</ref>

*$250 to "Johnathan Paton for Congress," as consultant for Nobel Associates LLC<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?10990574143 Contribution to Johnathan Paton PAC 2010]</ref>*$2400 to "Jim Ward for Congress," as consultant for Noble Associates, LLC<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?10930607349 Contribution to Jim Ward PAC 2010]</ref>*$500 to "Bernier for Congress," as consultant for Noble Associates<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?10930676646 2010 Contribution to Bernier PAC]</ref>*$500 to "Mark Rubio for US Senate," as consultant for Noble Associates, LLC<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?10020591227 2010 contribution to Rubio PAC]</ref>

*$2000 to "[[National Republican Senatorial Committee]]," as Partner of DC-London, Inc <ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?11020480599 2011 Contribution to National Republican Senatorial Committee PAC]</ref>*$2000 to "Adam Hasner for US Senate," as partner for DC-London, Inc.<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?11020290983 2011 contribution to Adam Hasner PAC]</ref>*$2500 to "[[Kirk Adams ]] for Congress," as President of Noble Associates<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?13940696393 2011 Contribution to Kirk Adams PAC]</ref>*$2500 to "Citizens for Josh Mandel," as Managing Partner for DC-London, Inc<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?12020161446 2011 Contribution to Josh Mandel PAC]</ref>*$2500 to "David McIntosh for Indiana," as Executive for DC-London, Inc.<ref>[http://images.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecimg/?11971626767 2011 Contribution to David McIntosh PAC]</ref>