Tea Party Movement Having Money Problems

Posted by | August 9, 2010 10:41 | Filed under: Top Stories


The tea party’s grassroots are ambivalent about fundraising, and wealthy conservatives are loathe to invest in the movement, causing money problems, reports Politico.

Some of the biggest foundations behind the conservative movement – Koch and Bradley – have signaled their wariness about affiliating with the tea party, even as Koch doles out hundreds of thousands – and likely millions – of dollars to one of the main Washington non-profit groups assisting tea partiers around the country: Americans for Prosperity, which was founded by the family’s most politically active member, David Koch.

Likewise, the president of the Lynde and Henry Bradley Foundation, which grant reports show has contributed $195,000 to Americans for Prosperity and $270,000 to FreedomWorks between the time of their split and the end of last year, said his group’s focus will remain on policy research and development, rather than grassroots mobilization.

And some tea party groups are suspicious of other tea party groups.

…allegations from tea party circles about profiteering by groups such as the Tea Party Express have hindered the ability of the movement, as a whole, to raise money, said Red State’s Erickson.

“Every movement — left, right, center or no political affiliation whatsoever — attracts its contingent of scammers and con artists and charlatans, and it takes a while for that to sort itself out,” he said. “And that’s why a lot of the money is still sitting on the sidelines.”

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By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

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