The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs’ Cash into Politics and Made Millions

[Triana]

For a brief, giddy moment, Sean Noble — a little-known former aide to an Arizona congressman — became one of the most important people in American politics.

Plucked from obscurity by libertarian billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, Noble was tasked with distributing a torrent of political money raised by the Koch network, a complex web of nonprofits nicknamed the Kochtopus, into conservative causes in the 2010 and 2012 elections.

Noble handed out almost $137 million in 2012 alone — all of it so-called dark money from unnamed donors — from his perch atop the Center to Protect Patient Rights, a group run out of an Arizona post office box.

Much of it was channeled to obvious destinations: Groups supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, for example.

But with Noble as ringmaster, Koch money also poured into efforts that didn’t surface until long after Election Day: To a political committee backing Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker against a recall attempt; to a group blaming President Obama for high gas prices; even to a legal challenge to Arizona’s redistricting plan.

THE REST:

http://billmoyers.com/2014/02/18/the-dark-money-man-how-sean-noble-moved-the-kochs%E2%80%99-cash-into-politics-and-made-millions/