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meow2u3

(24,776 posts)
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 03:28 PM Jan 2013

Leaked internal docs blow the lid off Tea Party group's image (FreedomWorks)

FreedomWorks, the national conservative group that helped launch the tea party movement, sells itself as a genuine grassroots operation, and for years it has battled accusations of "astroturfing"—posing as a populist organization while doing the bidding of big-money donors. Yet internal documents obtained by Mother Jones show that FreedomWorks has indeed become dependent on wealthy individual donors to finance its growing operation.

Last month, the Washington Post reported that Richard Stephenson, a reclusive millionaire banker and FreedomWorks board member, and members of his family funneled $12 million in October through two newly created Tennessee corporations to FreedomWorks' super-PAC, which used these funds to support tea party candidates in November's elections. The revelation that a corporate bigwig like Stephenson, who founded the Cancer Treatment Centers of America and chairs its board, was responsible for more than half of the FreedomWorks super-PAC's haul in 2012 undercuts the group's grassroots image and hands ammunition to critics who say FreedomWorks does the bidding of rich conservative donors.

Big donations like Stephenson's are business as usual for FreedomWorks. According to a 52-page report prepared by FreedomWorks' top brass for a board of directors meeting held in mid-December at the Virginia office of Sands Capital Management, an investment firm run by FreedomWorks board member Frank Sands, the entire FreedomWorks organization—its 501(c)(3) and (c)(4) nonprofit arms and its super-PAC—raised nearly $41 million through mid-December. Of that total, $33 million—or 81 percent of its 2012 fundraising—came in the form of "major gifts," the type of big donations coveted by nonprofits and super-PACs. (FreedomWorks' nonprofit components do not have to disclose their funders.)

(scroll down the page to read docs)

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/freedomworks-rich-donors-armey-kibbe-super-pac

Freedom Works does neither.

35 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Leaked internal docs blow the lid off Tea Party group's image (FreedomWorks) (Original Post) meow2u3 Jan 2013 OP
I always thought the CTCofA commercials were a little shady. Arctic Dave Jan 2013 #1
They are also buying slots on NPR DollarBillHines Jan 2013 #10
I freaking hate the "tea party" :D Fire Walk With Me Jan 2013 #2
I would agree with you if there was such a thing. :-p Guy Whitey Corngood Jan 2013 #3
I know Cali_Democrat Jan 2013 #15
I'm with you on this Plucketeer Jan 2013 #18
Tea parties are for little girls with imaginary friends. Fantastic Anarchist Jan 2013 #34
Did anyone else hear that some in the Tea Party wanted to elect Palen to replace Boehner? Tippy Jan 2013 #4
Sarah Palin? BainsBane Jan 2013 #8
Yes...can not type any more...sorry Tippy Jan 2013 #35
what kind of asshole would rip off cancer patients No Compromise Jan 2013 #5
So that's what the Cancer Treatment Centers of America does. Interesting. Let's circulate this nt Sarah Ibarruri Jan 2013 #6
Dick Army's golden parachute BainsBane Jan 2013 #7
Cancer Treatment Centers of America have always hit me like a scam to make $$$s ... Botany Jan 2013 #9
I wouldn't say helped launch. AtheistCrusader Jan 2013 #11
Stephenson's 12 million to the teaparty was funneled in for the sole purpose of paying off Dick Army Melinda Jan 2013 #12
There are some fucking POOR "Libertarians" cum "anarchists" who are USED by "Freedom"Works, I bet.nt patrice Jan 2013 #13
Hell, yeah! But they still love their Randian heroes... freshwest Jan 2013 #19
Research on the FreedomWorks family tree: patrice Jan 2013 #14
K & R right here. freshwest Jan 2013 #20
He probalbly promotes cancer so he can make more money, sick bastard! Dont call me Shirley Jan 2013 #16
Blows the lid off their image? MynameisBlarney Jan 2013 #17
No, they are a diverse group. See all the colors there? freshwest Jan 2013 #21
Those are Tories. Ikonoklast Jan 2013 #22
And you too. MynameisBlarney Jan 2013 #25
You got that right.. They and the Constitution Party want the Articles of Confederation.... freshwest Jan 2013 #26
You. Sir or Madame, I like you. MynameisBlarney Jan 2013 #23
It'll be okay! See here: freshwest Jan 2013 #27
You SOB! MynameisBlarney Jan 2013 #29
We're just kicking it for the Dittoheads (containers of other people's paid speech) and Beckerheads. freshwest Jan 2013 #30
*head nod* MynameisBlarney Jan 2013 #31
Red, white, blue and yellow Autumn Jan 2013 #24
BWAHAHAHAHAAAA! MynameisBlarney Jan 2013 #28
red necks, white skin and blue hair. Warren DeMontague Jan 2013 #33
You mean the Koch-funded astroturf phonies were shown to be -gasp!- Warren DeMontague Jan 2013 #32
 

Arctic Dave

(13,812 posts)
1. I always thought the CTCofA commercials were a little shady.
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 03:33 PM
Jan 2013

This explains a lot.

Another multi-million dollar scammer.

DollarBillHines

(1,922 posts)
10. They are also buying slots on NPR
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 05:47 PM
Jan 2013

I heard one yesterday and thought "WTF?". The slots promoted CTCofA as pretty much The Benevolent Being.

Trying to buy some warm-and-fuzzy counter-time, I suppose.

 

Cali_Democrat

(30,439 posts)
15. I know
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 06:18 PM
Jan 2013

I actually think the media gives them a pass by calling them the "tea party". They're actually just Republicans that branded themselves "tea party patriots" when they became angry that a black man was in the white house.

 

Plucketeer

(12,882 posts)
18. I'm with you on this
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 09:57 PM
Jan 2013

Damned librul media tries it's BEST to keep the TP on life support. That slug-slime "operation" evaporated with it's failings last November. But just because some of the dweebs that the TP advocated for are still in office - to the media, that's justification to keep the piss-yellow flags of "Don't pee on me!" waving vigorously.

 

No Compromise

(373 posts)
5. what kind of asshole would rip off cancer patients
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 04:26 PM
Jan 2013

then use the money to pretend they are a grassroots group in an attempt to subvert our Democracy for their own greedy purposes?

BainsBane

(53,127 posts)
7. Dick Army's golden parachute
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 05:44 PM
Jan 2013

made obvious to those who didn't already know better that Freedom Works doesn't rely on grassroots funding.

Botany

(70,639 posts)
9. Cancer Treatment Centers of America have always hit me like a scam to make $$$s ...
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 05:46 PM
Jan 2013

..... from really scared people. They now have to put in fine print that
the cases they are talking about are not typical.

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
11. I wouldn't say helped launch.
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 05:48 PM
Jan 2013

There was a factional war going on within the tea party at launch. Freedom works was one of the biggest, but inimical to Tea Party Express, (the Fox/Beck/Palin wing) and the Paulbots (Tea Party Patriots? I can't even keep track now.)


The whole thing and how it unfolded might make a good study in socially transmitted diseases.

Melinda

(5,465 posts)
12. Stephenson's 12 million to the teaparty was funneled in for the sole purpose of paying off Dick Army
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 06:04 PM
Jan 2013

His severance package, if you will. I understand that an FEC AND DOJ investigation has been requested. Link to FEC and DOJ Complaints: http://tinyurl.com/auxds4u

Now we hurry up and wait for the results.

patrice

(47,992 posts)
13. There are some fucking POOR "Libertarians" cum "anarchists" who are USED by "Freedom"Works, I bet.nt
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 06:08 PM
Jan 2013

MynameisBlarney

(2,979 posts)
17. Blows the lid off their image?
Fri Jan 4, 2013, 06:29 PM
Jan 2013

But I thought everyone with a brain in their head already knew their image was shite.
Buncha astroturfin theocratic fascist hypocrites was the image I've long associated with them.
This actually just reinforces that image.

Ikonoklast

(23,973 posts)
22. Those are Tories.
Sat Jan 5, 2013, 12:17 AM
Jan 2013

They would have been the ones calling for Washington to be hanged as a Revolutionary when caught.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
26. You got that right.. They and the Constitution Party want the Articles of Confederation....
Sat Jan 5, 2013, 12:26 AM
Jan 2013

Last edited Sat Jan 5, 2013, 01:19 AM - Edit history (1)

They hate the Constitution and Bill of Rights and all those terrible liberal amendments...

Did you see the Freeper post begging the Queen of England to please, please take us back and we'll never be naughty again?

Tea Party Patriots, restoring honor to America!

Uh, better make that honoring royalty...

Easy enough to undertand, since all union-hating repukes are bootlickers, anyway.

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
30. We're just kicking it for the Dittoheads (containers of other people's paid speech) and Beckerheads.
Sat Jan 5, 2013, 12:46 AM
Jan 2013
Gotta do what we can to enlighten the benighted.



Problem is, they keep running from the light...


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