Wow, this is a huge surprise.
Two well-known tea party groups spent more than 80 percent of the money they raised in 2013 not on the causes and candidates that they say it is their mission to support, but on operating expenditures, like paying consultants, companies who produce mailing materials and renting mailing lists.
Daily Caller
Wow, whoda thunk that an astroturf movement sponsored by Rupert Murdoch and Dick Armey would be a scam?
And this isn't just a little scam. We are talking some serious money here.
“The mission of the PAC will be to support good citizen-candidates to run for public office and represent the views of the majority of Americans in all levels of government,” Martin added.
So far, no money has been spent to support those candidates. According to the year-end spending report filed with the Federal Election Commission, of the $6,405,087 that the group has raised since early last year, $5,335,162 has been spent, and all of it has been put toward operating expenditures.
The teabaggers being ripped off are not real happy about it.
From the comments section:
Missed Opportunity
A colossal waste. There is a huge opportunity to actually leverage the grassroots and build bottom-up organizations. Instead, they are trying to do the same-old-same-old top-down stuff that both parties do - and all the 'national organization of thisthatandtheother' do - and that has created the problem that we are in.
Don't trust the Beltway!
Don't trust slimy slip & fall lawyers like Judson Phillips; or TP Express, who has Sal Russo & others on 600K salaries, etc.
Donate locally to YOUR TPs and candidates; avoid PACS & inside the Beltway groups.
And here's a little sexism for ya...
Most of these so-called Tea Party groups are run by fat, greedy women I have noticed. Most Conservatives ignore these so-called Tea Party groups. They do not represent us at all.