tpp patriots bak

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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">see bak bad code here (intercept?)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">pjt 2025 7 23</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/">
</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/">https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/</a></font></div><div>
</div><div>2<span style="background-color: rgb(40, 63, 109); color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">295 Towne Lake Pkwy Ste 116-314</span></div><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: rgb(40, 63, 109);">Woodstock, GA 30189</span><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">OUR MISSION</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Action's mission is to equip Americans with the resources and training they need to be engaged citizens and effective activists. Our vision is for a nation where individual liberty is cherished and maximized, where the Constitution is revered and upheld, and where Americans are free to pursue their American Dream.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PERSONAL FREEDOM</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">We are most free when the Constitution is followed, and all Americans can live life the way they want, as long as it does not harm others or infringe on their rights.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">READ MORE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ECONOMIC FREEDOM</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A growing economy, with reduced tax rates and government spending, gives businesses the ability to hire more people and us all a chance to earn more.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">READ MORE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DEBT-FREE FUTURE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Increasing the US debt puts an undue burden on future generations. It is only fair and right to pay the debt we have incurred so our children are not stuck with our bills.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">READ MORE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">OTHER ISSUES</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">National Debt<span style="white-space:pre"> </span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Healthcare<span style="white-space:pre"> </span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tax Reform<span style="white-space:pre"> </span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Big Government<span style="white-space:pre"> </span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Immigration<span style="white-space:pre"> </span></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">First Amendment Rights<span style="white-space:pre"> </span></font></div><div>
</div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects from the Congress our God-given right to engage in political activity. The text specifically says, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: rgb(238, 238, 238);">Tea Party Patriots stands for the rights of all individuals as laid out in the first amendment. The Bill of Rights is a fundamental piece in securing our freedoms and every American possesses the right to free speech, the freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition our government. We will vigorously stand up for these rights for every American anytime they come under attack.</p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Second Amendment Rights</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2023 TeaPartyPatriots.org website is a joint website of the following separate organizations: Tea Party Patriots Action, Inc., Tea Party Patriots Foundation, and Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. All rights reserved. Legal Notice.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Tea Party Patriots Action, Inc. operates as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization,</b> whose mission is to equip Americans with the resources and training they need to be engaged citizens and effective activists.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Tea Party Patriots Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization</b> that exists to promote the ideas of the Tea Party movement and to engage in charitable and educational activities.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund is a federal political action committee dedicated to empowering Americans to engage in our democracy and help preserve our rights and liberty.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paid for in part by Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund. <b>Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.</b></font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">boing no lnx 8 22</font></font></font></font></div><div>
</div><div><b>The dark money billionaire-funded Tea Party Patriots has an "action guide" for disrupting public health measures</b></div><div>JENNIFER SANDLIN  9:30 AM MON<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> AUG 22, 2022</span></div><div>
</div><div>DALLAS - SEP 04 : A conservative Tea Party Express protest of big government and Obamacare in Dallas. Taken September 04, 2009 in Dallas, TX. Ken Durden]</div><div>
</div><div>Where I live (and probably where you live), if you wandered outside and looked around at restaurants, bars, shopping centers, airplanes, airports, municipal buildings, movie theaters, universities, schools, office buildings, and heck, even medical offices,<b> you'd never know COVID is still a 'thing,' despite the fact that official case counts hover around 100,000 cases in the US per day and deaths are consistently around 500 a day, </b>according to the New York Times.</div><div>
</div><div><b>The situation is even worse in reality, though, as many epidemiologists assert that official cases are vastly undercounted, and state that actual numbers of cases might be up to thirty times higher than officially reported.</b> And maybe you're willing to accept that 500 deaths a day is just "the new normal." Death isn't the only bad outcome, however—experts assert that as many as 1 in 5 people who had COVID develop "long COVID," which can be debilitating for months or years. </div><div>
</div><div>If you still care about COVID and wonder why the entire country seems to be being gaslit by the folks running the public health system, here's an interesting analysis that helps explain what happened. Journalist Walker Bragman recently posted a link on Twitter to an "action guide" on "stopping medical mandates," created by the <b>"Action" arm of the Tea Party Patriots</b>. The mission of "Tea Party Patriots Action" is: </div><div>
</div><div>to equip Americans with the resources and training they need to be engaged citizens and effective activists. Our vision is for a nation where individual liberty is cherished and maximized, where the Constitution is revered and upheld, and where Americans are free to pursue their American Dream.</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">They have three main platforms, including "personal freedom," "economic freedom," and "debt free future," as well as a whole host of topics about which they produce action guides, including "National debt, Healthcare, Tax reform, Big government, Immigration, First Amendment rights, and Second Amendment rights.</span>" The guide that Walker Bragman is referring to was published in Summer 2021 and is called "I do not consent:<b> Stop UnAmerican Medical Mandates,</b> A How-To Guide for the American People." It includes guidance about how to "Host a Sign-Waving Event," along with sample slogans to put on signs such as: </div><div><b>
</b></div><div><b>Tyrants never let a crisis go to waste! They're using Covid to control you!</b></div><div>
</div><div>Let our kids BREATHE! No more mandates!</div><div>
</div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">No more Covid fear mongering! We are FREE AMERICANS!</span></div><div>
</div><div>Don't let the panic porn manipulate you into giving up your rights!</div><div>
</div><div>The guide also includes information about how to "Organize Parents & Concerned Citizens," and how to "Make Some Calls" (including scripts) to federal elected officials, governors, state legislators, and more. The guide ends with a request for donations, naturally. </div><div>
</div><div>Bragman asserts that this Tea Party activist work helps explains how we got to our current state of affairs regarding COVID. Along with the link to the guide, he tweeted, "Big money has poisoned our national discourse around COVID. This guide was published last summer by the billionaire-funded dark money group Tea Party Patriots Action to help people defeat public health measures like mask requirements." It's probably not the entire reason we've gotten to the point of being told to just 'live with the virus' while cases and deaths rage on, but it's certainly part of the story. </div><div>
</div><div>TWEET  COMMENTS</div><div>TEA PARTY USEFUL IDIOTS</div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> bad code here (intercept?)</font></span></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">hERE ARE THE DONORS TO TEA PARTY GROUP THAT HELPED ORGANIZE PRE-RIOT RALLY DONORS TO THE Tea Party Patriots Foundation, one of the groups that helped organize the January 6 rally preceding the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, include the Jewish Community Federation and<b> late billionaire Republican donor Sanford Diller, </b>according to a 990 form submitted to the IRS by the tax-exempt nonprofit in 2019.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">the right-wing organization was listed on the March to Save America website alongside groups like Stop the Steal, Turning Point Action (an affiliate of Turning Point USA), and Women for America First, according to a report last week from Documented, a watchdog group that investigates corporate influence. The March to Save America website is down, but archived versions list several participating organizations. Supporters of President Donald Trump gathered for a mass event outside the Capitol last week, aiming to coincide with challenges to Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. The rally culminated in a mob attack on the Capitol that left five people dead.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Tea Party Patriots’ tax filing was obtained by Eli Clifton, the a senior adviser at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, who shared it with The Intercept.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A  screenshot of a tax filing showing donations to the Tea Party Patriots Foundation, one of the groups that organized the “March to Save America” rally that led to the Capitol insurrection. Screenshot: Obtained by Eli Clifton</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a statement, Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin said her group did not fund the rally and denounced the violence that followed it. “Neither Tea Party Patriots Foundation, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, nor Tea Party Patriots Action spent any money on the rally,” Martin said. “We condemn the violence. We are shocked, outraged, and saddened at the turn of events on January 6. One of the reasons we revere our Constitution is that it created a framework that allows for the resolution of political conflict in a peaceful manner.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Intercept sought to reach out to people listed on the form. The form lists a person named Lewis Stahl and a man by that name is in prison for tax evasion. There was no available contact information for the Will Moose Fund or the John 3:16 FDN.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DonorsTrust, a little-known organization that has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into right-wing causes over the years and given wealthy contributors the ability to do so anonymously, donated to the Tea Party Patriots a total of $103,000, according to the filing. DonorsTrust has bankrolled a range of causes in the conservative movement, from climate change denial to the right’s attacks on organized labor. Wealthy conservatives use these tax-exempt charities and similar organizations — known as “donor-advised funds” — as a go-between to pump money into controversial groups and causes since they can direct their donations without legal obligations to name their donors. (DonorsTrust did not respond to requests for comment.)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund was among the biggest donors on the Tea Party Patriots list, giving the group a total of $100,000. The Jewish Community Federation, which also functions as a donor-advised fund, previously contributed $15,000 to Turning Point USA. In a now-deleted tweet, Charlie Kirk, leader and founder of Turning Point USA, claimed that Turning Point Action would be sending more than 80 buses “full of patriots” to the Washington rally.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of the Tea Party Patriots donation, the Federation said in a statement, “This was a grant made in 2017 by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund to support a donor’s philanthropy. We conducted due diligence prior to approving the grant to ensure the grantee was a qualified 501(c)(3). We have not received a grant request for this organization since 2017.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">while the donations from these funds aren’t direct, donor-advised funds still have the power to vet contributions. “Donors can only make non-binding recommendations” from their fund, according to JCF’s fund policies, and “they cannot control when and how the Federation will make grants nor control decisions about which grantees will receive funding.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The form said a person named Tad Taube donated $70,000 to the Tea Party Patriots, and a philanthropist from the San Francisco Bay area with that name did not respond to requests for comment. John Binkley is listed as giving $29,000. John Binkley from Alaska, a Republican former state senator who launched a failed gubernatorial run and served as one of the state’s three electors to the Electoral College, denied that he had made any donations to any Tea Party groups. And Sanford Diller, a billionaire Republican donor who died in February 2018, made the second-biggest contribution on the list at $150,000.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Martin, the Tea Party Patriots co-founder,</b> tweeted late last year that she would be speaking at the “Stop the Steal” rally and promoted the event in the weeks leading up to it. She called for “peaceful” protest as the rally became violent. A few hours earlier, Martin had tweeted, “We will not allow them to steal this election!” — though the tweet did not name the perpetrators.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Tea Party Patriots, which was formed in 2009 and describes itself as the “nation’s largest grassroots Tea Party organization,” is funded by two nonprofits and a political action committee.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">action 501c4 cpi <b>voter suppression</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI's Voter Suppression Network Holds Statewide Summits</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Starting in February 2022, CPI's Election Integrity Network organized and held statewide voter suppression summits in the states. CPI's Election Integrity Network is chaired by voter suppression advocate and GOP attorney Cleta Mitchell.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Center for Media and Democracy tracked the summits as they were announced. As of April 4, 2022, below are the statewide events held/announced:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Georgia</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI held the Georgia Statewide Election Integrity Summit on February 18 & 19, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. The summit featured a number of breakout sessions on elections and a "special" keynote from Mark Meadows, “What Happened in 2020 and What We Must Do to Protect Future Elections in Georgia."[6]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Arizona</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI held the Arizona Statewide Election Integrity Summit on March 11 & 12, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The summit featured a number of breakout sessions on elections and a "special" keynote from Mark Meadows, “What Happened in 2020 and What We Must Do to Protect Future Elections in Arizona." The summit also held a "bonus session" on "Special Grassroots Training / Building the Citizens Campaign to Win the Fight for Voter ID in Arizona."[7]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sponsors of the Arizona event included: AMAC Action, America First Policy Institute, America Pack, Arizona Free Enterprise Club, Election Transparency Initiative, EZAZ.org, FreedomWorks, Heritage Action for America, Public Interest Legal Foundation, Tea Party Patriots Action, Virginia Institute for Public Policy, and Voter Reference Foundation.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Florida</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI held the Florida Statewide Election Integrity Summit on March 25-26, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. The summit featured a number of breakout sessions on elections and a "special" keynote from Sen. Jim DeMint and a speech from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The summit also held Florida specific sessions, "How Floridians Vote: Mail, Machines, and Role of the USPS – How to Be Citizen Watchdogs", and "What We Must Do to Enhance Florida’s Election Code."[8]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sponsors of the Florida event included: AMAC Action, Citizens United Foundation, Defend Florida, Foundation for Government Accountability, FreedomWorks, Heritage Action for America, James Madison Institute, Tea Party Patriots Action, and Virginia Institute for Public Policy.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to a report from AMAC Action, over 400 Floridians attended and other speakers included Cleta Mitchell, Florida state Rep. Cord Byrd, Chair of the Floria Election Commission Nick Primrose, Republican National Committee's Josh Findlay, and Virginia Policy Institute's Lynn Taylor.[9]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pennsylvania</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI held the Pennsylvania Statewide Election Integrity Summit on March 31, 2022 in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. The summit featured a number of breakout sessions on elections, a sneak preview of “Rigged": a "New Citizens United Documentary" and a speech by Kristen Eastlick from the Capital Research Center titled “The Real Kraken — How Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg Manipulated the 2020 Election." The summit also held a Pennsylvania specific session, "Understanding Absentee Voting, Recent Court Decisions about No Excuse Absentee Voting in PA, & the Role of US Post Office in Election Mail"[10]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sponsors of the Pennsylvania event included: AMAC Action, FreedomWorks, Heritage Action for America, Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, Tea Party Patriots Action, and the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Virginia</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI scheduled a Virginia Statewide Election Integrity Summit for April 22-23, 2022 in Williamsburg, Virginia. The summit will feature a number of breakout sessions on elections, and a specific session on Virginia titled, "What Did the Virginia Legislature Do this Year? What Remains to Be Done?"[11] A special screening of "Rigged: The Zuckerberg-Funded Plot to Defeat Donald Trump", the new documentary from Citizens United will be held. Speakers are not listed for this event.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sponsors of the Pennsylvania event included: AMAC Action, Heritage Action for America, Middle Resolution, Tea Party Patriots Action, Virginia Fair Elections, and the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michigan</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CPI scheduled a Michigan Statewide Election Integrity Summit for May 13-14, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. The summit will feature a number of breakout sessions on elections, and a specific session on Michigan titled, "Building the Michigan Election Integrity Infrastructure".[12] A special screening of "Rigged: The Story of How Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg Manipulated the 2020 Election", the new documentary from Citizens United will be held. Speakers are not listed for this event.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sponsors of the Michigan event included: AMAC Action, Heritage Action for America, Michigan Election Protection Team, Tea Party Patriots Action, and the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ties to the Council for National Policy</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">evil but not wrong</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/tea-party-patriots-action/</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tea Party Patriots Action (TPP Action or TPP) is a right-of-center advocacy organization aligned with the “Tea Party” movement. The organization is affiliated with the Tea Party Patriots Foundation, a charitable organization, and the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, a super PAC. [1] [2] [3] The TPP network supports limited government intervention in the market, decreased government spending, a flat tax, election security, and right-of-center immigration and health care policies. [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP received national attention for its role in organizing opposition to the Affordable Care Act shortly after its founding. [9] In summer 2020, the group again rose to national prominence for its opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and other mandates. TPP produced a viral video in which doctors resisted state mask mandates which was later removed by Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. [10] [11] [12]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP has been criticized for its involvement in the rally leading up to the January 6, 2021, riots at the Capitol building. [13] The organization has also been criticized for its financial management practices, with former supporters accusing the group of a lack of transparency and misallocation of its funding. [14]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CONTENTS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">History</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Advocacy Activity</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Personal Freedoms</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Government Spending and Tax Policy</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Electoral Issues</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">COVID-19 Activism</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other Issues</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Capitol Riots Controversy</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Financial Management Controversies</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">People and Funding</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">References</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Form 990 Information</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">History</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP has been called one of the core organizations within the Tea Party movement. Founded in March 2009, TPP was one of the six original tea parties in the country, and the group helped to organize the highly influential September 12, 2009, March on Washington which launched the movement. [15]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In its first year, TPP made national news when it organized grassroots opposition to the Affordable Care Act. TPP encouraged volunteers to protest the bill at local town hall meetings, circulating a memo encouraging them to “pack the hall” and “stand up and shout and sit right back down” in opposition to the bill. [16]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP also made a name for itself early on by opposing some mainstream Republican policies. In 2009, TPP organized the Contract from America initiative, which called for “real economic conservative” governance in Congress. The contract ultimately got hundreds of thousands of signatures and received the support of major right-of-center, anti-establishment organizations, including FreedomWorks, the Liberty Lab, and Americans for Tax Reform. [17]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By 2010, TPP had grown to 2,200 local chapters and claimed over 115,000 members on its website. In 2011 and 2012, TPP reported receiving $20 million per year in contributions. [18]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2010, TPP incorporated a charitable organization, the TPP Foundation, which provides activist training and educational resources to the public, in addition to filing amicus briefs to support right-of-center policy. [19] [20] Two years, later, the organization formed a super-PAC, the TPP Citizens Fund, in order to support candidates to push the Republican Party further right. [21]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2017, TPP refiled for tax-exempt status under the name Tea Party Patriots Action. While the original TPP organization founded in 2009 still exists, all TPP activities are now run through the TPP Foundation, TPP Action, and TPP Citizens Fund, with the organization celebrating its tenth anniversary under the TPP Action name. As of 2021, TPP claims over 15 million members who work across the United States . [22]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Advocacy Activity</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP Action focuses on three categories through its advocacy work: personal freedom, economic freedom, and reducing the national debt. [23] TPP places a central role on the Constitution, criticizing both mainstream Republicans and Democrats for allegedly going outside of the boundaries of the Constitution to pass policies to please their constituents. [24] TPP supports its policy positions by organizing demonstrations, leading petition drives, and recruiting right-of-center candidates for office. [25]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PERSONAL FREEDOMS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Through its work on personal freedoms, TPP has adamantly opposed government surveillance of American citizens, efforts to implement government-controlled healthcare programs, and attempts to restrict speech. [26] [27] Much of TPP’s work focuses on criticizing the size of government. TPP has argued that the National Security Agency (NSA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have become politicized and used to persecute Americans for political reasons, especially under the Obama administration and the Biden administration. [28] [29]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When Democrats in the House of Representatives called for boosting funding for the IRS in late 2020, TPP officials called the request “a bigger concern than any budget appropriations” and accused the IRS of attempting to “suspend the First Amendment for their political foes, as they did before” in reference to a 2013 scandal in which the IRS was shown to suspend or deny tax exempt status to Tea Party organizations based on their political views. [30]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND TAX POLICY</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP has also advocated for right-of-center reform on economic issues, supporting a free market with decreased government intervention. TPP has argued for a decrease in taxes for all Americans and a simplification of the tax code, coupled with a massive cut in government spending in order to decrease the national debt. [31] TPP has previously expressed support for a flat, fixed tax rate across all businesses and income brackets. [32]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Much like the Tea Party itself, TPP has become known for its aggressive calls to decrease the national debt, with the organization calling for a decrease in government spending by 1% per year for the next ten years to reduce the debt by $4.5 trillion. TPP has also called for the passage of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution to force Congress to cut spending if a balanced budget cannot be maintained. [33]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ELECTORAL ISSUES</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP built its reputation by supporting right-of-center candidates outside of the Republican mainstream, often challenging incumbent Republicans to move the party further right and establish the Tea Party as a national force. Aside from using its PAC to fund Republican campaigns, TPP organizes grassroots initiatives in support of right-of-center candidates. [34]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2012, TPP criticized then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney, calling him a “weak moderate” that was “hand-picked” by the Republican establishment. TPP vowed to stop the “mushy-middle” members of the Republican Party from “getting rolled” by Democrats, calling for “fighter” candidates to support far-right policies. [35] In 2014, TPP gained national attention for supporting Mississippi State Senator Chris McDaniel’s nearly successful challenge to former U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS). [36]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite frequently challenging mainstream Republicans early on in its history, TPP became a notable supporting organization for former President Donald Trump. In January 2020, TPP executive Jenny Beth Martin called for the articles of impeachment against President Trump to be dismissed by the U.S. Senate and referred to the impeachment proceedings as a “sham, from start to finish.” [37]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2021, TPP began to pivot in its focus, with Martin saying that the group’s “animating issue’ had become “faith in the elections” following the 2020 cycle. Martin described the shift as a logical next step in the group’s campaign against government overreach, alleging that the local management of elections represented such an overreach. [38] In March 2021, TPP joined a coalition of organizations to provide financial backing to efforts to implement right-of-center election security reforms. TPP announced that it would be working with Heritage Action for America and FreedomWorks to make an eight-figure [tens of millions] investment into the efforts. [39]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">COVID-19 ACTIVISM</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP gained national attention in July 2020 when it organized a group of doctors to stage a press conference in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to protest COVID-19 lockdowns and compulsory mask policies. [40] [41] [42] At the press conference, the doctors claimed that people did not need masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was effective in treating COVID-19. Other health authorities disputed the claims. [43]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The video of the press conference went viral on Facebook, becoming one of the site’s top performing posts and receiving more than 14 million views and over 600,000 shares. Then-President Trump shared the video on Twitter before Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube banned the video for allegedly promoting COVID-19 misinformation. [44]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Aside from the press conference, TPP was active in opposing COVID-19 lockdowns. During the pandemic, TPP published the Second Opinion Project, which hosted videos of doctors criticizing COVID-19 lockdowns and other state-imposed mitigation efforts. [45] TPP also joined conservative organizations including FreedomWorks and the Susan B. Anthony List in urging the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to consider intervening with states to block lockdown orders, claiming they were unconstitutional. [46]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">OTHER ISSUES</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP works to a lesser extent in advocating for right-of-center policy on healthcare and immigration. TPP has opposed attempts to implement greater government control over the health care system, including the Affordable Care Act, instead advocating for health care reform that encourages competition in the free market and minimizes the role of government in the health care sector. [47] While supporting immigration in principle, TPP has called for an end to amnesty policies and advocated for fully securing American borders before loosening immigration restrictions. [48]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Capitol Riots Controversy</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In January 2021, TPP was listed as one of the groups supporting the March to Save America, a rally on January 6 to protest the certification of the 2020 presidential election results by Congress. TPP leaders were outspoken after the election, claiming without substantiation that there had been widespread fraud and that the election results should be overturned in favor of then-President Donald Trump. [49] After rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol building following the rally, critics blamed TPP and other sponsors of the peaceful march for subsequent rioting. [50]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP officials denied funding the rally and immediately denounced the violence which followed it. Despite its denunciation, left-of-center critics accused the organization of promoting “conspiracy theories of voter fraud and a ‘deep state,’” claiming that those theories inspired “predictable” violence at the Capitol. The left-of-center Washington Post went so far as to publish a letter to the editor which called on the IRS to “take action” against TPP for “the safety of our nation and its citizens.” [51]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Financial Management Controversies</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2011, the far-left magazine Mother Jones published a three-part expose on TPP’s financial management practices, alleging that the organization refused to publicly disclose its financial information and silenced supporters who asked for such records. [52]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The expose criticized TPP for not filing the required tax Form 990s prior to receiving official tax-exempt status from the IRS, despite the fact that TPP broke no laws in failing to do so. Other right-of-center figures and even some TPP supporters criticized the move, accusing the organization of hypocrisy for demanding financial transparency in government while keeping its own financial information private. [53] TPP also received criticism for the amount of money it spent on consultants and fundraising events, with some supporters claiming to be upset that the money was not instead used for grassroots initiatives. [54]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP faced further criticism for its executive compensation, allowing its executive officers to fly in private planes and treat themselves to expensive hotel stays and meals while on work trips. Former TPP supporters criticized the organization for treating its executives “like kings and queens on donated money.” One former TPP supporter who criticized TPP fundraising practices claimed she was threatened by a lawsuit if she spoke publicly about the organization, while others claimed they were forced out when they questioned the group’s finances. [55]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The controversy continued following the launch of the TPP Citizens Fund, which spent nearly $2 million on fundraising, polling, and consultants in the first three months of 2014 and only $56,000 on candidate expenditures. At the same time, the PAC was paying Martin a $15,000 monthly consulting fee, in addition to her $272,000 salary from TPP Action. [56]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">People and Funding</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots was founded by Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, and Amy Kremer. Martin and Kremer have been called the “founding mothers” of the Tea Party movement for their involvement in founding TPP, though Kremer has since split off from TPP and become a prominent supporter of former President Trump. [57]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Martin worked in politics for most of her life, working as a Republican consultant and for former U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) before founding TPP. Martin founded TPP after struggling under more than $1.4 million in tax debt and becoming frustrated with American fiscal policy following the Wall Street bailouts. [58] [59] In 2010, Time named Martin one of its 100 most influential people in the world for her work with TPP. [60]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meckler worked with TPP for several years before becoming interim CEO of the conservative social media platform Parler in February 2021. [61] Meckler is also president of Citizens for Self-Governance, another right-of-center organization which advocates against government regulations, and the co-founder of Convention of States Action, an organization which calls for the states to call a convention to amend the Constitution directly in order to limit the size and power of the federal government. [62] [63]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP has received funding from prominent right-of-center donors and organizations in the country. The organization has received $103,000 from DonorsTrust, $100,000 from the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund, and $150,000 from late billionaire Republican donor Sanford Diller. [64] The TPP Citizens Fund has received over $4.3 million from Republican donor Richard “Dick” Uihlein. [65]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">References...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Where are Tea Party Patriots Action’s headquarters?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Action’s headquarters are in 80 M St Se , First Floor, Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, 20003, United States</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What is Tea Party Patriots Action’s phone number?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Action’s phone number is (206) 796-8353</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What is Tea Party Patriots Action’s official website?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Action’s official website is www.teapartypatriotsaction.org</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">How many employees are working in Tea Party Patriots Action?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Action has <25 employees</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What is Tea Party Patriots Action's tech stack?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The technologies that are used by Tea Party Patriots Action are: Twitter for Websites, Google Global Site Tag, iubenda, Google Font API</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">igor salon</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/glenn-youngkin-2655355138/</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A billionaire Trump donor who funded a group that marched on the Capitol ahead of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot is bankrolling a dark-money group boosting Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin's attacks on Democratic opponent Terry McAuliffe.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Republican-aligned Restoration PAC this week launched new ads attacking McAuliffe, who served a previous term as governor, over crime rates. (Virginia's unusual term limits restrict governors to one term, but does not bar them from running again after leaving office.) The PAC has spent $1.767 million funding ads against McAuliffe, making it by far the largest independent expenditure group in the race.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The group is funded almost entirely by Republican mega-donor Richard Uihlein, co-founder of the Wisconsin shipping supply giant Uline. Uihlein contributed $24.5 million to the group in the 2020 election cycle, making up 97% of its funding, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics. He put another $1.5 million into the group in May, according to FEC filings.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Uihlein and his wife Liz are among the biggest Republican donors in the country, having given more than $65 million to former President Donald Trump, Republican candidates and conservative groups since 2019. The Uihleins have also contributed $4.3 million over the past five years to the Tea Party Patriots, including $800,000 in October 2020, making them by far the group's biggest donors. </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Tea Party Patriots participated in the "March to Save America" rally that preceded the Capitol riot and were one of 11 groups listed as part of the "#StopTheSteal coalition," according to WBEZ. The group also contributed to Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., who was accused by "Stop the Steal" organizer Ali Alexander of helping plan the rally, which Brooks has denied. Tea Party Patriots also contributed to Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who led objections to the certification of Electoral College results in the Senate.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Restoration PAC last month also gave $942,000 to Women Speak Out Virginia — 2021, a PAC affiliated with the anti-choice Susan B. Anthony List that launched a $1.4 million campaign to attack McAuliffe on abortion.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Uihlein's foundation also contributed $275,000 to Trump booster Charlie Kirk's Turning Point Action between 2014 and 2016. The group was listed as a participant in the Capitol protest and Kirk took credit for "sending 80+ buses full of patriots to DC to fight for this president" in a since-deleted tweet.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Turning Point Action also previously received $50,000 from the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative dark-money group that helped Trump fill federal courts with conservative judges and is pushing to restrict voting. The group also funds the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), giving it $2.1 million last October and a total of $12.7 million since 2014. RAGA's fundraising arm, the Rule of Law Defense Fund, sent out robocalls urging supporters to "march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal" on Jan. 6.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Judicial Crisis Network has multiple legal aliases it uses for other initiatives, including The Concord Fund and Free to Learn Action. That latter group has launched a $1 million ad campaign focused on "critical race theory" in schools, an issue Youngkin and other conservatives have seized on. The group is spending $1 million attacking McAuliffe for arguing that parents should not dictate school curricula.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Judicial Crisis Network is also closely aligned and shares staff with the Judicial Education Project and its Honest Elections Project, a conservative initiative pushing voting restrictions. The Judicial Education Network is almost entirely funded by the Donors Trust, a dark-money group backed by the Koch network. Donors Trust in 2019 gave more than $20 million to at least a dozen groups who would later question the results of the election. Last year, the Honest Elections Project announced a six-figure ad campaign stoking fears of a "brazen attempt to manipulate the election system for partisan advantage" before the election even happened.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Youngkin has tried to walk a fine line on Trump's election lies as he tries to solidify his Republican base without alienating independent and suburban voters in the increasingly blue state. He refused to acknowledge President Biden's election victory while seeking the Republican nomination, doing so only after he had already triumphed over Republican rivals. And while Youngkin has said he would have voted to certify the election results, he is nonetheless calling for an "audit" of voting machines in Virginia (something the state already does) and boosting election conspiracy theorists.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Youngkin, the former CEO of the private equity firm the Carlyle Group, is also the primary funder of Virginia Wins, contributing $1 million to back Republican candidates in down-ballot races. The PAC has funneled tens of thousands to candidates who attended the Stop the Steal rally, organized transportation for others to attend the event, defended Capitol rioters or pushed election conspiracy theories, Mother Jones reported on Thursday.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Social media platforms elevated a video featuring disinformation about COVID-19. Right-wing media figures embraced it.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On July 27, a video making false claims about COVID-19 began circulating on Facebook, and soon other social media platforms. Within a day, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter committed to taking it down, but copies are still spreading -- and even worse, mainstream right-wing media figures are embracing the video , even as we learn about the deranged figures behind it.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">First promoted by the Tea Party Patriots and Breitbart, the video featured members of a group called “America’s Frontline Doctors” holding a press conference in front of the Supreme Court. One of the speakers, Dr. Stella Immanuel , falsely claimed that “you don't need masks” to prevent the spread of COVID-19; she also falsely claimed hydroxychloroquine was a cure for the disease. It's not, and the fact is that trusted studies have repeatedly shown no effect.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Within hours, Donald Trump had retweeted claims from the video.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Daily Beast found that Immanuel has made some truly bizarre claims, including that alien DNA can be used in medical treatments, and that some medical problems are caused by sex with demons. Eric Hananoki found that Immanuel had a long track record of anti-LGBTQ remarks, including calling homosexuality "the agenda of the Devil." The rest of the "Frontline Doctors" are hardly any better.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Facebook and Twitter removed the original video, with a Facebook spokesperson saying the reason was it shared “false information about cures and treatments for COVID-19,” and a Twitter spokesperson saying, “We're taking action in line with our Covid misinfo policy.” However, Media Matters found multiple instances of the video being re-uploaded on Facebook and Twitter following the platform’s statements.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fox News and right-wing media did a full-throated defense of the video and the doctors, despite the lies and the extremist personalities. Rush Limbaugh extensively defended Immanuel, claiming the Daily Beast ran a "hit piece" on her. Tucker Carlson complained about the video being removed while also attacked the Daily Beast's reporting. Immanuel herself said that the Daily Beast's reporting did "a great job summarizing our deliverance ministry and exposing incubus and succubus.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham also complained about the video being removed. Ingraham hosted one of the "Frontline Doctors," who repeated the false claim that hydroxychloroquine was a "cure."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The entire right-wing ecosystem is built upon and thrives upon conspiracy theories. While conspiracy theories once took weeks or months to reach millions (for example, conspiracy theories about Barack Obama's birth certificate), the process now happens in a matter of minutes -- and this time, the misinformation puts public health on the line. Even worse, platforms like Facebook and Twitter are either unwilling or unable to stop it.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.the GUK .com/us-news/2020/apr/18/coronavirus-americans-protest-stay-at-home</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thousands of Americans backed by rightwing donors gear up for protests</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Conservative activists to demand governors lift stay-home orders – and movement has been driven by wealthy conservative groups</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Adam Gabbatt</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> @adamgabbatt</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sat 18 Apr 2020</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Many of the rallies have been inspired by a protest at the Michigan state capitol.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thousands of people are preparing to attend protests across the US in the coming days, as a rightwing movement against stay-at-home orders, backed by wealthy conservative groups and promoted by Donald Trump, continues to take hold.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Conservative activists are demanding governors lift orders designed to stop the spread of the coronavirus, despite the recommendations of public health officials. Trump, who has clashed with Democratic governors over how soon to reopen the US economy, tweeted his support on Friday, in an unprecedented endorsement of civil disobedience by a sitting president.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Many of the planned rallies have been inspired by a protest at the Michigan state capitol on Wednesday, which was attended by thousands.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2:09</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> Armed protesters demand an end to Michigan's coronavirus lockdown orders – video</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yet while organisers claim the protests are grassroots- and people-driven, a closer look reveals a movement driven by traditional rightwing groups, including one funded by the family of Trump’s education secretary, Betsy DeVos.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The rallies have drawn comparisons to the Tea Party movement, which sprang into life in 2009 following the election of Barack Obama and was driven in part by Americans for Prosperity, a group founded by rightwing donors Charles and David Koch.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As with the Tea Party, the anti-stay-at-home movement has been promoted by a rightwing media eager for the economy to reopen, including Fox News which on Friday aired a segment on protests in Virginia, Michigan and Minnesota. Two minutes later, Trump tweeted to his 77.4 million followers the need to “liberate” those states.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1:40</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> 'They seem very responsible to me': Trump defends anti-lockdown protesters - video</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A majority of Americans support the lockdowns, with a Pew Research Center poll finding that 66% are concerned state governments will lift restrictions on public activity too quickly. But protests, helped by media coverage, have spread around the country.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The two groups behind the “operation gridlock” rally in Michigan on Wednesday have ties to the Republican party and the Trump administration.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Michigan Freedom Fund, which said it was a co-host of the rally, has received more than $500,000 from the DeVos family, regular donors to rightwing groups.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The other host, the Michigan Conservative Coalition, was founded by Matt Maddock, now a Republican member of the state house of representatives. The MCC also operates under the name Michigan Trump Republicans, and in January held an event featuring several members of the Trump campaign.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Absolutely the Michigan event was a huge inspiration and it was a huge success,” said Evie Harris, organizer of a ReOpen Maryland protest planned for the state capitol on Saturday.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“That was the model for our event.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thousands drove to the Michigan state capitol in Lansing, while the Michigan Freedom Fund purchased Facebook advertising to promote the rally. Protesters, many waving Trump campaign signs, honked their horns and chanted for Governor Gretchen Whitmer to end the stay-at-home rules.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The protest was covered exhaustively by the rightwing media. Harris said her Facebook following grew from “700-800 people” to more than 15,000 members following the Michigan rally, inspiring her to organize “Operation Gridlock Annapolis” for Saturday.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Harris said her group had support from some elected officials in Maryland, but declined to name them.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While ReOpen Maryland might not have funding from rightwing advocacy groups, it appears to be linked to at least four other “reopen” organizations.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Government mandating sick people to stay home is called quarantine,” ReOpen Maryland said. “However, the government mandating healthy citizens to stay home, forcing businesses and churches to close is called tyranny.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That text is identical to text on Facebook pages calling for rallies in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Virginia. ReOpen Virginia aims to hold its own “gridlock” rally on Wednesday – again inspired by the conservative-funded Michigan event.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite ReOpen Virginia billing itself as a “grassroots group of people and small business owners”, founder Kristen Lynne Hall said the idea for the protest came from the organizers of the “Lobby Day” demonstration earlier this year.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That demonstration was organized by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights group that has donated tens of thousands of dollars to politicians.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Hall, who said Candace Owens, a rightwing activist and favorite of Trump, had been in touch to discuss the event, said the president’s tweet about “liberating” Virginia was “great”.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It could be spreading the movement,” she said. “Any support is appreciated right now.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A decade ago, the Tea Party movement billed itself as “grass roots”, despite receiving money from the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity and the conservative organization FreedomWorks.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jenny Beth Martin, who founded the Tea Party Patriots group, promoted this week’s Michigan protest. The Tea Party Patriots also supported the protest, in messages to its 200,000 Twitter followers.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Matthew Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a progressive media watchdog, said the similarities between the Tea Party and ReOpen movements went further, with rightwing media boosting both.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fox News ran favorable coverage of the Michigan rally and hosts including Laura Ingraham and Jeanine Pirro endorsed the protest.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Fox gave the Tea Party a phenomenal amount of attention and promotion,” Gertz said. “It really sort of boot-strapped it to another level, and made it a political force, and we see something similar happening with these anti-stay-at-home order movements.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Gertz said he was not “simply” concerned with “the conservatives having a strong election the next time out”.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It’s a real chance for devastating consequences with regard to the coronavirus,” he said.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00540898&cycle=2018</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2018 pac</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Receipts<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,900,635</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Spent<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,852,253</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Begin Cash on Hand<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$71,688</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">End Cash on Hand<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$120,070</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Debts<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Independent Expenditures<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$127,652</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Date of last report<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>May 31, 2018</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2018 PAC Contribution Data</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contributions from this PAC to federal candidates (list recipients)  <span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more ( list donors)<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,120,970</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Official PAC Name:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TEA PARTY PATRIOTS CITIZENS FUND </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Location: WOODSTOCK, GA 30189</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Industry: Republican/Conservative</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Treasurer: KILGORE, PAUL </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FEC Committee ID: C00540898</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(Look up actual documents filed at the FEC)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">---</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2016 </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Grand Total: $1,371,544</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total For Democrats: $0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Against Democrats: $378,296</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total For Republicans: $993,248</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total Against Republicans: $0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>State<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Party<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Office<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Total<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>For<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Against</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brat, Dave<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>VA<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$3,367<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$3,367<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Clinton, Hillary<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>D<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>President<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$378,296<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$378,296</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cruz, Ted<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$160,115<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$160,115<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cruz, Ted<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>TX<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,119<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,119<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fleming, John<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>LA<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$16,498<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$16,498<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Garrett, Scott<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>NJ<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$3,366<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$3,366<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Gerritson, Becky<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>AL<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,954<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,954<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Glenn, Darryl<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>CO<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,974<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,974<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Gohmert, Louis B Jr<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>TX<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$8,061<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$8,061<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">King, Steven A<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>IA<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lee, Mike<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>UT<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meadows, Mark R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>NC<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Paul, Rand<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>KY<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$6,341<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Ramsland, Russ<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>TX<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,029<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$2,029<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rubio, Marco<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>FL<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>Senate<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$29,408<span 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</span>$120,795<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Toth, Steve<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>TX<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>House<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$1,675<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$1,675<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump, Donald<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>R<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>President<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$602,943<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$602,943<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$0</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">u</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">UIHLEIN, RICHARD E</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LAKE FORST, IL 60045<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>ULINE<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>08/26/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$500,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">UIHLEIN, RICHARD E</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LAKE FORST, IL 60045<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>ULINE<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/04/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$500,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">UIHLEIN, RICHARD E</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LAKE FORST, IL 60045<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>ULINE<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/26/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$415,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">UIHLEIN, RICHARD E</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LAKE FORST, IL 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</span>10/14/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$12,500</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WRIGHT, MICHAELON</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TROY, MI 48084<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>TMW ENTERPRISES INC.<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/14/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FISHER, RICHARD B MR</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PITTSBURGH, PA 15222<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>FEDERATED SECURITIES COMPANY<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>07/11/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MOORE, JANET</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SPRING BRANCH, TX 78070<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>06/27/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">STEINKAMP, JEFFREY</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ROCHESTER, VT 05767<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>03/17/15<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GALKIN, WARREN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WARWICK, RI 02886<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>HATCO PRODUCTS CORP.<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>07/22/15<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GALKIN, WARREN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WARWICK, RI 02886<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>HATCO PRODUCTS CORP.<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>09/25/15<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GALKIN, WARREN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WARWICK, RI 02886<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>HATCO PRODUCTS CORP.<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>12/16/15<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HILLMAN, TATNALL</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ASPEN, CO 81611<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>08/21/15<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MURPHY, JOE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SHAVANO PARK, TX 78230<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>03/24/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MUZI, FREDERICK O</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DOVER, MA 02030<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>03/01/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GALKIN, WARREN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WARWICK, RI 02886<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>HATCO PRODUCTS CORP.<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>09/15/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PUZDER, ANDY</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CARPINTERIA, CA 93013<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>CKE RESTAURANT HOLDINGS<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>09/29/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MUZI, FREDERICK O</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DOVER, MA 02030<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>04/08/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$5,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TAUBE, THADDEUS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BELMONT, CA 94002<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>TAUBE INVESTMENTS, INC.<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/11/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$4,995</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HILLMAN, TATNALL</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ASPEN, CO 81611<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>02/12/16<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$4,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT LLC</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LANSDOWNE, VA 20176</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">---</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">biggest yr 1st 2014?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">EA PARTY PATRIOTS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WOODSTOCK, GA 30189<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>05/20/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$300,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">KATZ, CARY</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LAS VEGAS, NV 89134<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>COLLEGE LOAN CORPORATION<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>04/17/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$50,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">KATZ, CARY</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LAS VEGAS, NV 89134<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>COLLEGE LOAN CORPORATION<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/21/13<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$50,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PRISTO, ELAINE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PHOENIX, AZ 85022<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>06/23/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$50,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PRISTO, ELAINE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PHOENIX, AZ 85022<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>06/19/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$25,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GALKIN, WARREN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WARWICK, RI 02886<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>09/19/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$25,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DALBOSCO, DONALD</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">KATY, TX 77450<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>06/27/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$20,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GATES, ALONZO E MR II</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SAN ANTONIO, TX 78230<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>09/19/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$12,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BLUDWORTH, JOHN L MR III</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HOCKLEY, TX 77447<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>04/22/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MANN, RACHEL K</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SARASOTA, FL 34230<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>04/24/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PRISTO, ELAINE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PHOENIX, AZ 85022<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>04/14/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DAVIS, WILLIAM S MR</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FORT WORTH, TX 76116<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>05/05/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DAHLGREN, WILLIAM R MR</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PLS VRDS EST, CA 90274<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>AIRTECH INTERNATIONAL<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>01/31/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MURPHREE, TERENCE H</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HOUSTON, TX 77077<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>USSI<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/22/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MURPHREE, TERENCE H</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HOUSTON, TX 77077<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>USSI<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/28/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LYNCH, BARBARA B</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MILWAUKEE, WI 53211<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>11/26/13<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DICKSON, M ALLEN</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">SHREVEPORT, LA 71135<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>08/14/13<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WRIGHT, MICHAELON</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TROY, MI 48084<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>09/25/13<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BLUDWORTH, JOHN L MR III</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HOCKLEY, TX 77447<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>07/11/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HILLMAN, TATNALL</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ASPEN, CO 81611<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/15/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$10,000</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">QUILHOT, JEANETTE S MRS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ROANOKE, IN 46783<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>11/14/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$7,500</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">HILLMAN, TATNALL</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ASPEN, CO 81611<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>11/14/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$7,500</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WRIGHT, MICHAELON</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TROY, MI 48084<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>10/17/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$7,500</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">QUILHOT, JEANETTE S MRS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ROANOKE, IN 46783<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>RETIRED<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>04/24/14<span style="white-space:pre"> </span>$7,500</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BROOKS, MARIANNE MRS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TALLAHASSEE, FL 32312</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-15/club-for-growth-tea-party-patriots-support-pence-pick</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Mike Pence would be an outstanding vice president,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh says in release.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund also praises Donald Trump’s choice of Ind. governor as his GOP running mate</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump-Pence ticket could “unite the party,” Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund Chairman Jenny Beth Martin says</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Earlier: Trump Names Indiana Governor Mike Pence as Running-Mate Pick</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/10/tea-party-pyramid-scheme</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">→ Must Reads, Politics, The Right</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">How the Tea Party's Like Herbalife</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">— By Stephanie Mencimer</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">| Tue Oct. 19, 2010 </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea party leaders love to talk about how their grassroots movement is a revolutionary new way of doing politics from the bottom up, organized more like a regenerating starfish than a top-down bureaucracy. But what if the tea party isn't a star fish but more of a pyramid? At least one of the biggest tea party organizations in the country, Tea Party Patriots, bears a striking resemblance to companies like Herbalife that operate what some critics consider nothing more than legalized pyramid schemes. And that's not just because, as I report today, one of the group's top leaders was a top earner at Herbalife. Consider some of the parallels:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CONSTANT RECRUITING</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: Ninety percent of Herbalife’s low-level distributors quit within a year, requiring constant recruitment to keep the company afloat.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: Lorie Medina, a recruiter for the Dallas tea party, recently told the National Journal: "What I see is, every three, four, five months about 10 to 20 percent of your active people trail off. Those numbers have to be replaced every few months. It's a continual grind to keep the numbers up." Dawn Wildman, a California based national Tea Party Patriots coordinator, said: "The message is important, but people are expendable."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LOW OVERHEAD</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: By using "independent distributors," Herbalife keeps its costs low and shifts overhead to the little people.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: National Journal touts cheapness as one benefit of the tea party's "leaderless" structure: "The network never outgrows the infrastructure, because each tea party is self-reliant. And the groups make it their business to seed more groups, producing sometimes dizzying growth."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FONDNESS FOR SIGNS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: Responsible for ubiquitous telephone pole signs offering work from home deals.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: Tea Party Patriots recently launched a “One Million Yard Signs” project as part of a “branding” and recruiting effort.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">MEGA RALLIES</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: Motivational rallies, complete with testimonials, are a staple. Company founder Mark Hughes (who died of a drug overdose in 2000), once told rally crowds selling Herbalife products would make the world a better place.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: Rallies often seem to be the movement’s raison d'etre. They often feature testimonials from an activist claiming that before the tea party, she had been "just a mom" who didn't care about politics, but now, her life has been transformed through work to make the country a better place for her children and grandchildren.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM GO BROKE</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: Class action lawsuit settled in 2004 for $6 million alleged that thousands of people who signed on as Herbalife “supervisors” lost anywhere between $10,000 and $50,000.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: Pam Silleman, a single mom who founded the Napa Tea Party in California, says she has depleted savings and run up $100,000 in credit card bills getting local tea party off the ground.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PEOPLE AT THE TOP MAKE $</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: The average "president's team" member, a group that makes up less than one percent of Herbalife’s distributors, reportedly grosses about $600,000 a year.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: Jenny Beth Martin, a national coordinator of Tea Party Patriots has said she now earns $6,000 a month. Co-coordinator Mark Meckler, the former member of Herbalife's "president's team," draws a salary, too, though won’t disclose the amount. (Conspiracy minded and disgruntled patriots suspect it is at least six figures, paid with donations vacuumed up from local groups whose organizers are going broke.)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">THRIVING IN BAD ECONOMIC TIMES</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herbalife: While the stock market was in a serious slump and the country in a dire recession, Herbalife’s stock price has more than doubled as the unemployed turn to desperate money-making schemes.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party: Didn’t exist before February 2009. Tea Party Patriots, for its part, now claims 15 million members.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">wiki</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_Patriots</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The organization was founded by Jenny Beth Martin, Mark Meckler, and Amy Kremer in March 2009.[5]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots was a co-sponsor of the 9/12 March on Washington,[6] but refused to participate in the National Tea Party Convention.[7] Tea Party Patriots is most notable for organizing citizen opposition at the healthcare town hall meetings of 2009,[8] as well as various other anti-government run health care protests.[9]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Controversies[edit]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Liberal political opinions by Rolling Stone and Talking Points Memo have alleged that the organization is run with the help ofFreedomWorks, a conservative nonprofit.[16][17] Tea Party Patriots denies this claim.[citation needed]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A 2011 investigation by the liberal magazine Mother Jones alleged that the Tea Party Patriots organization was using its 501(c)(4) status to avoid disclosing its expenditures both to the IRS and to local contributors. The magazine reported that when local Tea Party groups pressed for more details on the group's expenses, they were removed from the umbrella organization and threatened with legal action.[18]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">owa state Senator Joni Ernst paid for ALEC membership with campaign funds, and her ALEC ties became an issue in her race against Democratic U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Tom Harkin (D), according to Mother Jones. Ernst, the underdog early in the crowded Republican primary, soon became the darling of outside spending groups, maintaining a $12 million lead in outside spending over Braley into the final weeks of the race, according to CRP. This Senate campaign joined North Carolina's and Colorado's in the top threebiggest spending in the country. Earnst won the election with 52% of the vote.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Spending supporting Ernst or attacking Braley came from the Koch-tied 60 Plus Association, American Future Fund, Freedom Partners Action Fund, Freedomworks for America, National Federation of Independent Business, and Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund; the ALEC member American Chemistry Council; Karl Rove's Super PAC American Crossroads and 501(c)(4) Crossroads GPS; the Tea Party-affiliated American Majority Action; the Koch-founded and -funded (and ALEC-tied) Americans for Prosperity; the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and more. (In a race that consistently skirted serious issues, the Chamber's ad attacking Braley featured a chicken dance.)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">- See more at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/12654#sthash.DkN3oZ13.dpuf</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6.14</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The people who have absolutely no problem equating President Obama with Hitler have very thin skins when it comes to their own prominent figures.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots has filed a complaint against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) with the Senate Ethics Committee to protest his repeated attacks against Charles and David Koch.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jenny Beth Martin, the co-founder of Tea Party Patriots, filed the complaint, charging Reid with “unlawfully and unethically targeting private citizens.” […]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It’s been generations since a member of the Senate has abused the power of his office to attack private citizens the way Harry Reid has sought to vilify Charles and David Koch,” Martin said.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">She said Reid’s tactics are “nothing more than a continuation of the thuggish intimidation campaign mounted by the Obama administration to target and silence people and organizations Democrats disagree with.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">With partisan politics trumping science-based solutions all too often these days, it's especially heartening when people overcome political differences to let solid data point the way toward practical solutions. That's what happened in Georgia last month when state regulators voted to require Georgia Power -- the state's sole investor-owned electricity provider -- to expand the use of solar power in its energy mix.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Regulators on the all-Republican commission voted 3-2 in favor of a plan that requires Atlanta-based Georgia Power Co. to increase its solar power capacity by 525 megawatts by the end of 2016. The decision comes on the heels of the announcement that Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Co., is planning to retire more than 2,000 megawatts worth of coal-fired generating capacity.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The vote in Georgia is notable not just for the commonsense outcome of adding more cost-effective renewable energy in a state ranked fifth in the nation for solar potential but just 21st for installed solar capacity. The real surprise here, after more than a year of often acrimonious debate, is the nearly unprecedented coalition that made the decision possible -- a mixture of not just environmentalists and solar advocates but also conservative lawmakers and Tea Party members.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Koch-Sponsored Misinformation</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The latter groups in particular had to face down a barrage of misinformation from Americans for Prosperity (AFP), an organization founded and underwritten by the billionaire Koch brothers, whose predecessor organization, Citizens for a Sound Economy,virtually founded the Tea Party itself. AFP's Georgia chapter mounted a scare campaign against solar power in Georgia that, as usual, supported the Koch's bottom line as fossil fuel magnates even as it played fast and loose with the facts.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Virginia Galloway, director of AFP's Georgia chapter, for instance, warned the group's 50,000 members that the solar proposal would "reduce the reliability of every appliance and electronics gadget in your home" and could increase Georgia electricity rates by up to 40 percent. As the Associated Press pointed out, neither of these claims bore much resemblance to the truth. In fact, at the hearing before the vote, Kevin Greene, Georgia Power's attorney, said that the utility didn't believe the solar requirement would cause any increase in electricity prices for ratepayers.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All of which underscores the really surprising part: even the Tea Party faithful didn't seem to be buying the AFP line this time around. Despite the mass emails, handouts, and phone calls put out by AFP's Georgia chapter, when the group held a protest during the Public Service Commission deliberations, hardly anyone showed up.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What's more, a separate branch of the Tea Party in Georgia, known as the Tea Party Patriots, came out strongly in favor of more solar power in the state. Debbie Dooley, national coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots told the press: "AFP Georgia is putting out absolutely false data," that doesn't take into account the fact that "solar prices have plummeted" in recent years. Dooley quipped that her group was forming "a Green Tea Coalition" because it saw the proposed solar expansion as a free market issue that "gives consumers more choice."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solar Power is Growing for Good Reason</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Michael Jacobs, a senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists, says the facts in the energy sector speak for themselves. As Georgia regulators wisely recognized, he says, the price of coal has risen, while prices for solar panels have dropped some 60 percent since 2011.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The fact is, solar has been one of the nation's fastest growing industries for the past several years, now supporting more than 100,000 jobs at 5,600 companies operating in every state in the nation. With the rate of utility solar installations more than doubling since 2012, the United States is now on track to add another 4,400 megawatts of photovoltaic power in 2013.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All of which has been noted with considerable alarm by some electric utilities. A recentreport distributed by the Edison Electric Institute, the industry's main trade group, for instance, calls the growth of small-scale solar systems the "largest near-term threat" to the industry and warns of a disruption to the industry similar to the one wrought by cell phones on the landline telephone industry.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Next up: Arizona</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a number of states recently, utilities have sought to fight back by charging extra fees to customers with rooftop solar panels. Moves to change so-called net metering arrangements were notably beaten back this spring in both Louisiana and Idaho -- hardly states known for liberal politics or environmental activism.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The latest battleground is Arizona, where the state's largest electric utility -- Arizona Public Service Company -- has similarly asked regulators to raise electric rates for residential customers who install solar photovoltaic systems at their homes. And, as in Georgia, the battle lines are forging some surprising alliances. In this case, Barry Goldwater, Jr. the son of the late politician who served five terms in the U.S. Senate and whose name is practically synonymous with conservatism in America, is among those leading the fight for solar power in his state, heading a recently formed organization called TUSK -- "Tell Utilities Solar Won't Be Killed."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jacobs notes that the populist nature of rooftop solar power seems to be causing a paradigm shift in many people's political perspective. "Instead of being forced to buy power from a monopoly, people now have a real option to go buy rooftop solar panels as they would a television or a refrigerator. There's no question," he says, "that this aspect is particularly appealing to a segment of the population that prefers the free market and doesn't want utilities or government to mandate what they do."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While Koch-funded groups like AFP are unlikely to heed the message anytime soon, there is every indication in the solar energy field that the political terrain is starting to shift dramatically</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Seth Shulman, Senior Staff Writer at the Union of Concerned Scientists, is a veteran science journalist and author of six books whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, Discover, Nature, Technology Review, Parade and many other publications. You can sign up to receive his monthly Got Science? column via email at the Union of Concerned Scientists website: www.ucsusa.org.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More Internal Strife For The Tea Party Patriots As ... - TPMMuckraker </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/.../more_internal_strife_for_the...‎ </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Feb 24, 2012 - Mark Meckler, the co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, announced Friday that he would be leaving over differences in the group's direction.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Party Foul! Tea Partiers Eat Their Own In Bitter ... - TPMMuckraker </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/.../party_foul_tea_partiers_eat_t...‎</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nov 12, 2009 - Emails obtained by TPMmuckraker detail how a rogue faction of Tea Party Patriots is lashing out at the board for going ahead with the suit ...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Defamation Suit Against Tea Party Group Part Of ... - TPMMuckraker </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/.../defamation_suit_against_tea...‎</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Oct 20, 2011 - The Tea Party Patriots say that a defamation lawsuit filed against them is just part of continued “animosity” from Amy Kremer, ... TPMMuckraker.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots Rally Against NPR After O'Keefe Video ... </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/.../tea_party_patriots_rally_again...‎</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mar 8, 2011 - The Tea Party Patriots, an umbrella group for state and local Tea Party groups around the country, is rallying its supporters against NPR in ...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">'The Tea Party Movement Is About To Be Hijacked ... - TPMMuckraker </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/.../the_tea_party_movement_is_...‎</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jan 11, 2010 - Tea Party Patriots, which helped put together a September rally that ...anything like that,” Meckler told TPMmuckraker, referring to the price tag.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots | TPMDC </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/tea-party-patriots/‎ </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">May 2, 2013 - TPMDC Tea Party Patriots. ... On Wednesday, Tea Party Patriots' co-founder Jenny Beth Martin penned an op-ed on Breitbart.com decrying the ...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Movement Spreads To Military | TPMMuckraker </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/.../tea_party_movement_spreads...‎ </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Apr 12, 2010 - A new Tea Party group, Armed Forces Tea Party Patriots, has grown ... at Camp Pendleton in southern California — told TPMmuckraker in an ...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">BENJY SARLIN MARCH 8, 2011, 1:33 PM</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Tea Party Patriots, an umbrella group for state and local Tea Party groups around the country, is rallying its supporters against NPR in response to hidden camera footage of an NPR executive, Ron Schiller, describing the movement’s members as “seriously, seriously racist people.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The video was filmed by James O’Keefe’s group, Project Veritas, and featured the group’s members having lunch with Schiller while posing as a phony Muslim advocacy group interested in donating $5 million to NPR. In addition to his comments on the Tea Party, Schiller is shown in the video saying that NPR does not need federal funding, which the Patriots argue demonstrates that House Republican efforts to cut the news organization’s funds are on the mark.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Mr. Schiller himself candidly admits in the video that NPR doesn’t need federal funding, and welcomes the opportunity to slant their reporting without the oversight of the taxpayer,” Mark Meckler, national coordinator for Tea Party Patriots wrote in an e-mail to supporters today. “At a time when the country is upside down by more than a trillion dollars, can we really afford to provide huge subsidies to entities that openly state that they don’t need the money? Let’s take his advice and pass legislation that would defund the clearly biased news organization that is out of touch with Americans across the country.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin also targeted Schiller’s comments, writing that they were “indicative of the mentality of ruling elites who are threatened by the power of the Tea Party Patriots. This bizarre behavior comes at a time when Americans are taking their country back through the legislative process. Political victory has led to policy victory, and the elite had better wake up to the new reality.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The e-mail called on Tea Party Patriots members to contact their members of Congress to keep pressure up against NPR as the House and Senate debate whether to defund the organization. The House has already passed a bill that would cut NPR’s funding and Senate Republicans introduced similar legislation this week. NPR has put out a statement in response to the video saying the organization is “appalled” by Schiller’s filmed remarks.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://grist.org/news/tea-partiers-fight-over-solar-power-in-georgia-and-the-solar-fans-win/</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tea Partiers fight over solar power in Georgia, and the solar fans win</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Claire Thompson</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In Georgia on Thursday, the Tea Party scored a victory against the Tea Party by helping push through a plan requiring the state’s largest electric utility to increase its capacity for solar power.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Never a dull day in Southern politics, is there? A proposal by Public Service Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald to more than double the amount of solar energy produced by Georgia Power pitted the Tea Party Patriots against the local chapter of Koch-funded group Americans for Prosperity (of the notorious “No Climate Tax Pledge”). Virginia Galloway, director of AFP for the state, warned the group’s 50,000 Georgia members that the proposal could increase electricity rates by up to 40 percent, and that this “mandate” — as she called it — would “reduce the reliability of every appliance and electronics gadget in your home.” But the Patriots see an increase in the availability of solar as an expansion of the free market and the ratepayers’ right to choose their energy sources.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those on the left might have a hard time distinguishing between brands of Tea Party, but there are real differences. From the Athens Banner-Herald:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Disagreement between the two groups isn’t unusual. [Debbie Dooley, national coordinator of the Patriots,] says Galloway is using outdated figures since solar-panel prices have dropped by more than half in the last three years. She also accuses Galloway of being swayed by the fossil-fuel interests that contribute to AFP nationally.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And, to hear Dooley tell it, AFP’s opposition to solar may not reflect the will of the people (or at least the people comprising its target audience).</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dooley tells Climate Progress that despite AFP’s misinformation campaign, which “was based on misleading data and was not accurate,” most of the Tea Party activists she works with support the proposed solar plan because they see it as a “way to help protect the environment, give consumers choice and in the long-term help lower their rates.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Help protect the environment? Tea Party, are you feeling OK?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Patriots advocate an all-of-the-above energy strategy, saying in an email to supporters that they “just don’t believe it is responsible to be completely reliant on one or two energy sources to generate needed electricity.” Bubba, for his part, sees the writing on the wall when it comes to the traditional forms of energy on which Georgia Power has long relied. The Associated Press:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">McDonald called for expanding the renewable energy source as a hedge against environmental rules that might force coal plants offline or future increases in the price of natural gas. …</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We don’t know what tomorrow is going to be with coal. We don’t know what tomorrow is going to be with natural gas,” McDonald said after the vote. “But we know the sun will be shining.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Atlanta Business Chronicle has the deets on the new plan:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of a broader long-term electrical generation plan that requires Atlanta-based Georgia Power Co. to increase its solar power capacity by 525 megawatts by the end of 2016.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of that amount, 425 megawatts would come from large “utility-scale” solar projects and 100 would come from projects small enough to be installed by individual residential or commercial property owners.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Georgia Power already is working to develop 260 megawatts of solar energy through two projects previously approved by the PSC.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But supporters of a motion by Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald to up the ante argued that recent technological advancements have brought down the costs of solar power enough to justify additional investment.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We’ve got to approach this in a businesslike fashion and try to stay ahead of the curve,” McDonald said after the vote.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Solar will still make up just a small fraction of the utility’s overall energy mix. Solar providers will engage in a competitive bidding process, with oversight from the Public Service Commission, to ensure that rates don’t go up.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">No Republican wants to get on the Tea Party’s bad side. Maybe if solar boosters joined forces with grassroots Tea Party groups across the nation, we could give AFP a run for its money. (Well, probably not literally.)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Claire Thompson is an editorial assistant at Grist.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/monsanto-protection-act-tea-party-partiots_n_3000073.html?view=print&comm_ref=false</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The so-called "Monsanto Protection Act," a controversial provision protecting the biotech giant from litigation, has found an unusual critic in the tea party.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The provision, Section 735, was slipped anonymously into the Senate version of the continuing resolution as part of the Agricultural Appropriations Bill, subsequently passed by the House and signed into law by President Barack Obama late last month.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Since then it's ignited an advocacy firestorm, with 250,000 people signing a petition opposing the provision and Food Democracy Now network organizing a protest at the White House last week. Critics -- including members of the tea party -- have expressed dismay, not only at the provision's contents, but at the secretive way in which the biotech rider was introduced.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It is not the purview of Tea Party Patriots to comment on the merits of GMOs -– that is a discussion and debate for experts and activists within that field," wrote Dustin Siggins, who blogs for Tea Party Patriots, on the group's website. "From the perspective of citizens who want open, transparent government that serves the people, however, the so-called 'Monsanto Protection Act,' Section 735 of the Continuing Resolution, is one heck of a special interest loophole for friends of Congress."</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Center for Food Safety is placing blame for the measure's covert introduction with the Senate Appropriations Committee and its chairman, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.). "While there are no definite fingerprints for whoever is responsible for the rider, the earmark was allowed under the direction of Senator Barbara Mikulski," the center wrote on its website. Most lawmakers appear to have been unaware the provision was even included in the C.R., according to reports.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last week, Mikulski's office issued a statement distancing the senator from the provision. "Senator Mikulski understands the anger over this provision. She didn't put the language in the bill and doesn't support it either," the statement reads. "As Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Mikulski's first responsibility was to prevent a government shutdown. That meant she had to compromise on many of her own priorities to get a bill through the Senate that the House would pass. "</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The provision's impact is unclear, since the underlying spending bill expires Sept. 30. Siggins argues in his lengthy Tea Party Patriots post analyzing the issue that it sets a "dangerous precedent." He concludes:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This all can be boiled down into a single, common phrase: a special interest loophole, and a doozy at that. We are used to subsidies, which give your tax dollars to companies to give them advantages over competitors. We are used to special interest tax loopholes and tax credits, which provide competitive and financial benefits to those with friends in Congress. And we are familiar with regulatory burden increases, which often prevent smaller companies from competing against larger ones because of the cost of compliance.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">However, this is a different kind of special interest giveaway altogether. This is a situation in which a company is given the ability to ignore court orders, in what boils down to a deregulation scheme for a particular set of industries.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rove, meanwhile, is racing full speed ahead on all fronts. On February 15, he trekked up to Capitol Hill to deliver a lesson on messaging to House Republican leaders. American Crossroads came out swinging early-and hard-in the Kentucky Senate race, bashing actress Ashley Judd for even thinking about challenging Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. (Beyond the leader's obvious VIP status, there is a personal element to this: Crossroads' Law once served as McConnell's chief of staff.) And Rove just keeps on talking about the Conservative Victory Project, as media outlets devote vastly more ink and airtime to the subject than it could have garnered without the attendant controversy.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of course, Rove isn't the only one poised to benefit from this spectacle. Even as he pokes purists in an apparent effort to jumpstart his 2014 money machine, the purists are looking to fill their coffers by poking back. "They need their shiny ball strategy too," observes the veteran strategist. "Everybody is trying to raise money." And just like Rove, these groups play rough-at times a little too rough. Last week the Tea Party Patriots had to issue an apology for a help-us-fight-Karl-Rove fundraising plea that included a Photoshopped image of their target dressed as an SS officer. (An outside vendor took responsibility for the pic.)</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TP remake book:</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACs sell services to recip eg Russo Our Cty Deserves Better (lied in ~ BO ads 08 (axis of evil dict laughing about BO meet w/o precond; rev jere etc; w/ kaloogian and radio mark wms [later booted for racist remarks 112]--> TPP; supported scott brown ted's seat</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2/27 crowds small, but post Fox 100 of K? 8</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">aug rx town hall; 9/12/09 60-70K DC  p 8</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ef AFP had Or for newbie congress ( gave populist cover )  esp TP Express</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FW --> TPP p10  TP is recycled old ideas , lots of misinfo 12</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">,,, TPP supported by FW, boosted net neutral which TP care/now nothing about; webinars; $ to trad gop consultant 109 note 71</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPP vaugue aims (no tax increase) but never lists pgms to cut</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TP more links to to Heritage than cato</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">agenda 21 talk</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">afp etc do not so much control TP as get them mad and give a simplistic worldview 116</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">loose ties work well enough (and allows distance from failures) and scandals</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">rx town halls hyped by press; CNN called FW  a "leading grassroots org"  tho armey insider lobbyist</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">kochs want to remake and discipline gop ; TP "go nuclear" if compromise</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">effect on 2010 exxag: most gps less than 50, no budget, did not endorse, not much GOTV</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TPE and FW rode TP wave, not cause 159</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">but helped in that end run around damaged gop brand; funneled $ to cands not thru party; media coverage 160</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">armey did orientation , no compromise (no problem biz as usual lobbying etc) 173 ; maj leader under newt, did complex deals</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">david koch schmmozed; TP hired longtime lobbyists p 174 note 55 eg matt canham SL trib 11/11/10 eggen pompeo koch wapo</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FW tech support TP</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FW etc want to convert soc programs into market subsidies 191 (obamacare sorta does that?]</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FW etc has more connections/strings into TP/grasroots?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></div>