h/t “Dracula Untold”
The Dark Lord of “dark money” in Arizona, Republican consultant Sean Noble of DC-London, the money laundering bag man at the center of the “Kochtopus” dark money network, has released his minions in the final 10 days of the campaign against Democratic candidates.
The Arizona Republic reports today that “Kochtopus” front group 60 Plus Association, which receives its funding from from organizations with links to the Koch brothers, is dropping another $900,000 into attack ads against Democrat Fred Duval on behalf of the candidate from Koch, Doug Ducey. Newly aggressive DuVal attacks Ducey.
60 Plus has also dropped another $304,000 on attack ads against Clean Elections candidate for Secretary of State, Democrat Terry Goddard, who has promised to clean up dark money in Arizona if elected. $304,000 ‘dark money’ ad attacks Goddard.
Sean Noble is a former consultant to APS, and is behind the dark money from its parent company Pinnacle West contributing to the Republican Attorney Generals Association, and the dark money groups in the Corporation Commission race. Pinnacle West (APS) ‘dark money’ in Corporation Commission and Attorney General races.
According to 60 Plus tax filings, the Koch-linked organization American Encore (formerly known as the Center to Protect Patient Rights, founded by Sean Noble) reported giving $2.6 million to 60 Plus in 2012.
The Washington Post described the Center to Protect Patient Rights as a “major cash turnstile [i.e., money laundering] for groups on the right during the past two election cycles,” because it received large amounts of money from Freedom Partners and TC4 Trust as part of the $400 million Koch political network. Koch-backed political coalition, designed to shield donors, raised $400 million in 2012.
In 2012, Sean Noble’s Center to Protect Patient Rights was the conduit for an $11 million campaign money laundering scheme that was only revealed after the California Fair Practices Commission filed suit against one of its donors and recipients, Americans for Responsible Leadership. It was California’s Biggest “Campaign Money Laundering” Scheme in history.
Noble evaded criminal prosecution for money laundering by having these “Kochtopus” front groups agree to pay California a fine.
About Americans for Responsible Leadership. I told you about this “Kochtopus” from group back in 2012. Americans for Responsible Leadership – a Koch brothers ‘dark money’ front group (excerpt):
Papers filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission list Robert Graham and Eric Wnuck as incorporators.
Graham owns RG Capital, a Scottsdale-based investment advisory firm. He also is trying to become the new chairman of the Arizona Republican Party. [Robert Graham is the current chair of the Arizona Republican Party.]
Wnuck was an unsuccessful candidate for Congress.
State Treasurer Doug Ducey, who is heading the anti-204 effort, said the current board also includes Kirk Adams, the former speaker of the Arizona House and, like Wnuck, an unsuccessful congressional candidate.
Ducey dismissed questions of whether Arizona voters are entitled to know who provided the $750,000 to his campaign. He said all he and the voters need to know is that the cash came from Americans for Responsible Leadership.
“If you want more detailed information beyond that, that really is a question for Americans for Responsible Leadership,” Ducey said.
The Arizona Republican Party is a wholly owned subsidiary of the “Kochtopus.” The hub of the “Kochtopus” dark money network is in the state of Maricopa. Republicans have turned Arizona into “Kochtopia,” a land where political corruption rules and democracy is undermined.
If you truly want to end the corruption of our political process by secretive dark money networks, the only way to end this GOP culture of corruption in Arizona is to reject Tea-Publican candidates for office. Krush the Kochtopus: Just say no to its ‘dark money’ candidates.
Elect Democrats to office who will seek to regulate dark money, require transparent disclosure of donors, and who will prosecute these money launderers to the full extent of the law.
Connect the dots.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Arizona_ALEC_Politicians
If corruption is truly there, why don’t we see prosecutions for it? Most types of corruption are criminal offenses, and if it so wide spread as you claim, surely someone would be prosecuted for it.
Are you kidding right now?!! The entire AZ legislature is filled to the brim with these bought and paid for pols…then add the other Republicans in leadership positions in the state (and other states as well) and you add the influence of ALEC to the mix and you have a toxic brew of corporate favoritism that is killing our state at the hands of outside interests whose only interests is their bottom line, NOT the well being of the state and its citizens. That doesn’t even come into play. I can see by your question that you are either totally and completely naive, completely uninformed, or completely in denial about what is going on in your name, under your nose. The reason that there are no prosecutions for this, is because THE ONES THAT SHOULD BE DOING THAT ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM! They are the ones that are bought and paid for! Get it now??!!
Corruption is not limited to criminal acts. It is also civil violations, in particular with campaign finance law in Arizona. Those who have jurisdiction to investigate are the Secretary of State, Attorney General (both Republicans), and the Clean Elections Commission — for which the legislature passed a bill signed into law by Gov. Brewer stripping the Commission of jurisdiction to investigate non-Clean Elections candidates. The Commission is the only entity which has sought to enforce campaign finance laws. Attorney General Tom Horne is currently the subject of at least four separate investigations. Republicans in power do not prosecute their friends and colleagues — which itself is corruption.