Logo for InfluenceWatch InfluenceWatch

Donate
Non-profit

Tea Party Patriots Action

Website:

www.teapartypatriots.org/
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

82-2189965
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2020):

Revenue: $3,535,189
Expenses: $2,927,908
Assets: $603,575
Founded:

2009
National Coordinators:

Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

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

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

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

Advocacy Activity

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

Personal Freedoms

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

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

Government Spending and Tax Policy

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

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

Electoral Issues

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

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

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

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 investment into the efforts. 39

COVID-19 Activism

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

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

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

Other Issues

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

Capitol Riots Controversy

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

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

Financial Management Controversies

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

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

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

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

People and Funding

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

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

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

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

References

  1. Burghart, Devin, and Leonard Zeskind. “Tea Party Nationalism: A Critical Examination of the Tea Party Movement and the Size, Scope, and Focus of Its National Factions.” Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20111124023305/http://justanothercoverup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/TeaPartyNationalism.pdf.
  2. “TPPF Front Page.” Tea Party Patriots, May 4, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/foundation/.
  3. Mencimer, Stephanie. “How a Feud between Two Tea Party Leaders Helped Lay the Groundwork for the Capitol Insurrection.” Mother Jones, April 19, 2021. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/how-a-feud-between-2-tea-party-leaders-helped-lay-the-groundwork-for-the-capitol-insurrection/.
  4. Derysh, Igor. “Conservative Groups Are Writing GOP’s ‘Voter Suppression’ Bills and Spending over $39M to Pass Them.” Salon. Salon.com, March 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/03/27/conservative-groups-are-writing-gop-voter-suppression-bills—and-spending-millions-to-pass-them/.
  5. “Economic Freedom to Grow Jobs and Your Opportunities.” Tea Party Patriots, May 17, 2020. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/economic-freedom/.
  6. “Tax Reform.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/tax-reform/.
  7. “Healthcare.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/healthcare/.
  8. “Immigration.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/immigration/.
  9. Urbina, Ian. “Beyond Beltway, Health Debate Turns Hostile.” The New York Times. The New York Times, August 8, 2009. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/us/politics/08townhall.html.
  10. Darcy, Oliver. “Social Media Giants Remove Viral Video with False Coronavirus Claims That Trump Retweeted.” CNN. Cable News Network, July 28, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/facebook-youtube-coronavirus/index.html.
  11. Darcy, Oliver. “Social Media Giants Remove Viral Video with False Coronavirus Claims That Trump Retweeted.” CNN. Cable News Network, July 28, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/facebook-youtube-coronavirus/index.html.
  12. Vogel, Kenneth P., Jim Rutenberg, and Lisa Lerer. “The Quiet Hand of Conservative Groups in the Anti-Lockdown Protests.” The New York Times. The New York Times, April 21, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-trump.html.
  13. Niemietz, Brian. “Bette Midler Tells Another Trump Election Truther to F–k Off.” nydailynews.com. New York Daily News, November 20, 2020. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/us-elections-government/ny-election-2020-bette-midler-daughter-of-the-confederacy-20201120-cblmn7nzdfe3tkuj6yhlo5rvom-story.html.
  14. [1] Mencimer, Stephanie. “Tea Party Patriots Investigated: ‘They Use You and Abuse You.’” Mother Jones, February 14, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/tea-party-patriots-investigated/.
  15. Burghart, Devin, and Leonard Zeskind. “Tea Party Nationalism: A Critical Examination of the Tea Party Movement and the Size, Scope, and Focus of Its National Factions.” Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20111124023305/http://justanothercoverup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/TeaPartyNationalism.pdf.
  16. Urbina, Ian. “Beyond Beltway, Health Debate Turns Hostile.” The New York Times. The New York Times, August 8, 2009. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/us/politics/08townhall.html.
  17. [1] “About Us.” Contract from America, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100503221628/http://www.thecontract.org/about/.
  18. Peters, Jeremy W. “The Tea Party Didn’t Get What It Wanted, but It Did Unleash the Politics of Anger.” The New York Times. The New York Times, August 28, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/us/politics/tea-party-trump.html.
  19. Burghart, Devin, and Leonard Zeskind. “Tea Party Nationalism: A Critical Examination of the Tea Party Movement and the Size, Scope, and Focus of Its National Factions.” Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20111124023305/http://justanothercoverup.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/TeaPartyNationalism.pdf.
  20. “TPPF Front Page.” Tea Party Patriots, May 4, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/foundation/.
  21. [1] Mencimer, Stephanie. “How a Feud between Two Tea Party Leaders Helped Lay the Groundwork for the Capitol Insurrection.” Mother Jones, April 19, 2021. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/how-a-feud-between-2-tea-party-leaders-helped-lay-the-groundwork-for-the-capitol-insurrection/.
  22. Mencimer, Stephanie. “Remember the Tea Party? It’s Still Raising Millions in Dark Money.” Mother Jones, April 19, 2021. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/remember-the-tea-party-its-still-raising-millions-in-dark-money/.
  23. “TPPA Front Page.” Tea Party Patriots, June 23, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/.
  24. “Your Personal Freedom and Your Rights.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/personal-freedom/.
  25. [1] “Action Items 2021-06-28.” Tea Party Patriots, June 28, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/actions/action-items-2021-06-28/.
  26. “Your Personal Freedom and Your Rights.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/personal-freedom/.
  27. “First Amendment Rights.” Tea Party Patriots, February 11, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/first-amendment-rights/.
  28. “Big Government.” Tea Party Patriots, February 11, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/big-government/.
  29. Lucas, Fred. “Return of a Politicized IRS? Democrats’ Push to Expand Tax Agency Raises Concerns.” Fox News. FOX News Network, December 9, 2020. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-democrats-irs-expansion-biden-obama-tea-party.
  30. Lucas, Fred. “Return of a Politicized IRS? Democrats’ Push to Expand Tax Agency Raises Concerns.” Fox News. FOX News Network, December 9, 2020. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-democrats-irs-expansion-biden-obama-tea-party.
  31. “Tax Reform.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/tax-reform/.
  32.  “Economic Freedom to Grow Jobs and Your Opportunities .” Tea Party Patriots, May 17, 2020. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/economic-freedom/.
  33. “A Debt Free Future for You and Generations to Come.” Tea Party Patriots, May 17, 2020. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/debt-free-future/.
  34. Terris, Ben. “In Mississippi, Jenny Beth Martin and Tea Party Patriots Try to Prove Their Worth.” The Washington Post. WP Company, June 22, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jenny-beth-martin-and-tea-party-patriots-work-to-unseat-the-establishment-in-mississippi/2014/06/22/5f58f7fc-f8a2-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html.
  35. Flock, Elizabeth. “Tea Party Slams Mitt Romney as ‘Weak Moderate Candidate’ Hand-Picked by ‘Mushy-Middle’ GOP.” U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, November 7, 2012. https://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/washington-whispers/2012/11/07/tea-party-slams-mitt-romney-as-weak-moderate-candidate-hand-picked-by-mushy-middle-gop.
  36. Terris, Ben. “In Mississippi, Jenny Beth Martin and Tea Party Patriots Try to Prove Their Worth.” The Washington Post. WP Company, June 22, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jenny-beth-martin-and-tea-party-patriots-work-to-unseat-the-establishment-in-mississippi/2014/06/22/5f58f7fc-f8a2-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html.
  37. Martin, Jenny Beth. “Impeachment Inquiry Is a Sham, from Start to Finish: Tea Party Patriots Co-Founder.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, January 16, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/todaysdebate/2020/01/15/impeachment-inquiry-sham-tea-party-patriots-editorials-debates/4483306002/.
  38. Stein, Sam. “How Trump Prevents a New Tea Party from Brewing.” POLITICO, April 14, 2021. https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2021/04/13/how-trump-prevents-a-new-tea-party-from-brewing-492461.
  39. Derysh, Igor. “Conservative Groups Are Writing GOP’s ‘Voter Suppression’ Bills and Spending over $39M to Pass Them.” Salon. Salon.com, March 29, 2021. https://www.salon.com/2021/03/27/conservative-groups-are-writing-gop-voter-suppression-bills—and-spending-millions-to-pass-them/.
  40. D’Ambrosio, Amanda, and Ryan Basen. “No Evidence That Doctor Group in Viral Video Got Near COVID ‘Front Lines’.” Medical News. MedpageToday, July 29, 2020. https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/87797.
  41. Darcy, Oliver. “Social Media Giants Remove Viral Video with False Coronavirus Claims That Trump Retweeted.” CNN. Cable News Network, July 28, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/facebook-youtube-coronavirus/index.html.
  42. Zadrozny, Brandy, and Ben Collins. “Dark Money and PAC’s Coordinated ‘Reopen’ Push Are behind Doctors’ Viral Hydroxychloroquine Video.” NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, July 29, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/dark-money-pac-s-coordinated-reopen-push-are-behind-doctors-n1235100.
  43. Darcy, Oliver. “Social Media Giants Remove Viral Video with False Coronavirus Claims That Trump Retweeted.” CNN. Cable News Network, July 28, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/facebook-youtube-coronavirus/index.html.
  44. Darcy, Oliver. “Social Media Giants Remove Viral Video with False Coronavirus Claims That Trump Retweeted.” CNN. Cable News Network, July 28, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/facebook-youtube-coronavirus/index.html.
  45. Zadrozny, Brandy, and Ben Collins. “Dark Money and PAC’s Coordinated ‘Reopen’ Push Are behind Doctors’ Viral Hydroxychloroquine Video.” NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, July 29, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/dark-money-pac-s-coordinated-reopen-push-are-behind-doctors-n1235100.
  46. Vogel, Kenneth P., Jim Rutenberg, and Lisa Lerer. “The Quiet Hand of Conservative Groups in the Anti-Lockdown Protests.” The New York Times. The New York Times, April 21, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/us/politics/coronavirus-protests-trump.html.
  47. “Healthcare.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/healthcare/.
  48. “Immigration.” Tea Party Patriots, January 13, 2021. https://www.teapartypatriots.org/about/immigration/.
  49. Niemietz, Brian. “Bette Midler Tells Another Trump Election Truther to F–k Off.” nydailynews.com. New York Daily News, November 20, 2020. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/us-elections-government/ny-election-2020-bette-midler-daughter-of-the-confederacy-20201120-cblmn7nzdfe3tkuj6yhlo5rvom-story.html.
  50. Chavez, Aida. “Here Are the Donors to Tea Party Group That Helped Organize Pre-Riot Rally.” The Intercept. First Look Institute, January 13, 2021. https://theintercept.com/2021/01/13/capitol-riot-donors-tea-party-patriots/
  51. [1] Cetner, Chris. “Opinion | The Tea Party Patriots Can’t Have Been Surprised by the Capitol Insurrection.” The Washington Post. WP Company, January 22, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/letters-to-the-editor/the-tea-party-patriots-cant-have-been-surprised-by-the-capitol-insurrection/2021/01/21/264b39ba-59bd-11eb-a849-6f9423a75ffd_story.html.
  52. Mencimer, Stephanie. “Tea Party Patriots Investigated: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Mother Jones, February 15, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/tea-party-patriots-investigated-part-two/.
  53. Mencimer, Stephanie. “Tea Party Patriots Investigated: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Mother Jones, February 15, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/tea-party-patriots-investigated-part-two/.
  54. Mencimer, Stephanie. “Tea Party Patriots Investigated: ‘They Use You and Abuse You.’” Mother Jones, February 14, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/tea-party-patriots-investigated/.
  55. Mencimer, Stephanie. “Tea Party Patriots Investigated: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Mother Jones, February 15, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/tea-party-patriots-investigated-part-two/.
  56. Gold, Matea. “Tea Party PACs Reap Money for Midterms, but Spend Little on Candidates.” The Washington Post. WP Company, April 26, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tea-party-pacs-reap-money-for-midterms-but-spend-little-on-candidates/2014/04/26/0e52919a-cbd6-11e3-a75e-463587891b57_story.html.
  57. Mencimer, Stephanie. “How a Feud between Two Tea Party Leaders Helped Lay the Groundwork for the Capitol Insurrection.” Mother Jones, April 19, 2021. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/how-a-feud-between-2-tea-party-leaders-helped-lay-the-groundwork-for-the-capitol-insurrection/.
  58. Mencimer, Stephanie. “How a Feud between Two Tea Party Leaders Helped Lay the Groundwork for the Capitol Insurrection.” Mother Jones, April 19, 2021. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2021/04/how-a-feud-between-2-tea-party-leaders-helped-lay-the-groundwork-for-the-capitol-insurrection/.
  59. Terris, Ben. “In Mississippi, Jenny Beth Martin and Tea Party Patriots Try to Prove Their Worth.” The Washington Post. WP Company, June 22, 2014. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/jenny-beth-martin-and-tea-party-patriots-work-to-unseat-the-establishment-in-mississippi/2014/06/22/5f58f7fc-f8a2-11e3-8aa9-dad2ec039789_story.html.
  60. Mencimer, Stephanie. “Tea Party Patriots Investigated: ‘They Use You and Abuse You.’” Mother Jones, February 14, 2011. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/02/tea-party-patriots-investigated/.
  61. Niemietz, Brian. “Bette Midler Tells Another Trump Election Truther to F–k Off.” nydailynews.com. New York Daily News, November 20, 2020. https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/us-elections-government/ny-election-2020-bette-midler-daughter-of-the-confederacy-20201120-cblmn7nzdfe3tkuj6yhlo5rvom-story.html.
  62. “Mark Meckler.” American Creed. Accessed July 5, 2021. https://www.americancreed.org/cast-mark-meckler.
  63. Bond, Paul. “Mark Meckler Addresses Critics of Parler and Convention of States.” Newsweek. Newsweek Digital LLC, March 30, 2021. https://www.newsweek.com/mark-meckler-addresses-critics-parler-convention-states-1579629.
  64. Chavez, Aida. “Here Are the Donors to Tea Party Group That Helped Organize Pre-Riot Rally.” The Intercept. First Look Institute, January 13, 2021. https://theintercept.com/2021/01/13/capitol-riot-donors-tea-party-patriots/.
  65. Mihalopoulos, Dan. “Chicago-Area Billionaire Gave Millions To ‘Patriots’ Group That Backed Pro-Trump Rally.” WBEZ Chicago. WBEZ Chicago, January 12, 2021. https://www.wbez.org/stories/chicago-area-billionaire-gave-millions-to-patriots-group-that-backed-pro-trump-rally/a5ea9afa-e58f-4987-a698-7d847c244189.
  See an error? Let us know!

Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: August 1, 2018

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2020 Dec Form 990 $3,535,189 $2,927,908 $603,575 $0 N $3,535,189 $0 $0 $372,828
    2019 Dec Form 990 $3,970,587 $3,930,684 $61,985 $0 N $3,683,566 $0 $0 $246,144
    2018 Dec Form 990 $2,025,325 $2,003,268 $22,082 $0 N $2,025,325 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Tea Party Patriots Action

    80 M ST SE FIRST FLOOR
    WASHINGTON, DC 20003-3550