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December 26, 2012

Armey Departed Tea Party Group After Forceful Coup Attempt 
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New details have emerged in the internal turmoil at the key tea party
group Freedom Works. The Washington Post reports the group's chairman
and former House majority leader, Dick Armey, attempted to seize power
in a coup-like maneuver earlier this year before receiving a
multimillion-dollar payout to leave. Armey entered the Freedom Works
offices in September with an armed aide who escorted two top employees
off the premises while Armey suspended several others. Just days later,
Armey left the group after an Illinois millionaire pledged $8 million
over 20 years in exchange for his departure. Freedom Works has been a
pivotal force behind the victories of tea party candidates in recent
years. The money for Dick Armey's exit came from Illinois billionaire
Richard Stephenson, founder of the for-profit Cancer Treatment Centers
of America. Stephenson was reportedly behind more than $12 million in
donations funneled to the Freedom Works super PAC in the weeks before
the 2012 election.

 

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