AG Ferguson files lawsuit against charity, misusing $1.2M for BIPOC communities
Sep 12, 2023, 1:51 PM
SEATTLE, WA - February 9: Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson speaks during a press conference at his office on February 9, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. An appeals court refused to reinstate U.S. President Donald Trump's ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim nations. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson is suing a Southwest Washington foundation for allegedly misusing grant funds meant to go to communities of color.
According to a news release, Ferguson filed the suit Monday in Clark County Superior Court, claiming that Ophelia Noble, executive director of The Noble Foundation, “misappropriated or failed to account for $1 million in charitable grants.”
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The Noble Foundation was founded in 2011, created to support “marginalized communities” and “provide nonprofit infrastructure to BIPOC-led sister organizations in Southwest Washington,” its website reads.
According to the lawsuit, Noble paid herself from the foundation’s fund and used foundation money to buy vehicles for herself and her mother and directed the foundation to buy her father’s house and then resell it to her at a deep discount.
The lawsuit names Ophelia Noble, the Noble Foundation, and several board members: Ophelia’s father Douglas Noble, Ophelia’s mother Alice Prejean, Alyce Noble, Joann Hampton and Virginia Prioleau.
“Preying on the generosity of Washingtonians is shameful — and unlawful,” Ferguson said in a statement. “We will hold those responsible accountable and work to ensure the diverted money is paid back and directed towards its intended purpose: advancing racial equity and serving communities of color.”
In 2019, the foundation received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Washington State Office of Financial Management in order to support the U.S. Census Bureau’s efforts to count historically undercounted communities. They also worked to distribute more than $1.3 million on behalf of Clark County and the Washington State Department of Commerce to communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, providing emergency rent assistance and cash assistance for general household needs.
The attorney general’s allegations of misappropriation go back to 2019 when the foundation paid Noble’s consulting company $310,000 for unspecified “executive director services” that were never approved by the board.
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Other allegations include Noble used foundation money to purchase a 2019 Nissan Armada, as well as a second vehicle, which Noble later transferred to her mother. Purchases totaling $65,000 that lack a clear connection to the charity’s purposes, including gift cards, meals, groceries, gas, travel, cell phones, personal clothing, and even alcohol and cigarettes.
Because Noble’s alleged misuse violated Washington’s Nonprofit Corporation Act, Ferguson said there are potential penalties of up to $5,000 per violation. Ferguson is also looking to ask the court to have all the misused money be redirected to a different charity and have The Noble Foundation dissolved.
