Tea Party Group Releases Congress Members' Personal Cell Phone Numbers and Email Addresses

UPDATE: November 13, 7:42 p.m.

Looks like we were not the only ones upset by this action by the National Tea Party Patriots to release the private cell phone numbers and emails of incoming Freshman. This press release comes from the Florida Tea Party movement and don't want to be tainted by these people. Mike Flynn at Big Government has a similiar take on this matter at Personal is Personal even for a Congressman. Anyone who condones the actions of the National Tea Party Patriots has the ethics of a gnat to go right along with this group. How were they able to obtain the personal information on these incoming Congressman and did they pay for that information?  Just who provided the information?  National Tea Party Patriots speak of transparency -- how about we see some from them!

It takes a lot of encouragement to get good people to run for office as stated by Mike Flynn at Big Government and how many of them want their personal information spread all over the net? Zero, zip, nada. Now they are going to have to change long time cell phone numbers along with email accounts. Why? Because some arrogant people decided they need to attend the Tea Party orientation not the Claremore Institute and went after them releasing their information all over the net along with a basic warning attend our orientation or else. What do the Tea Party Patriots know about orientation to new members of Congress? Or is the leadership really paid professionals capable of putting on an orientation that covers how the House works along with getting bills through committee and other necessary information the Freshman will need to do their job. We will never know because there is no transparency from this group or the Tea Party Express.

Who put the Tea Party Patriots in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives Orientation?  Were they asked to provide any orientation to new members? NO is the answer to both! They took it upon themselves which is very presumptious in the first place.  The new members were being given the same orientation that has been given in the past to new members. Now they are faced with a threat if they attend the Claremore Institute, they will make the Tea Party Patriots mad. What a horrible thing to do to newly elected members of the House. 

We say Thank You to the Florida Tea Party Coalition for standing up to the bullies of the Tea Party Patriots. The leadership of the Tea Party Patriots need to resign for giving out private information in their attempt to intimidate Freshman Congressman for their own purpose. These Freshman are upset and have every right to be disgusted. The word 'intimidate' is used by the Florida Tea Party Coalition who are just as livid as we are.

Tea Party, 9/12 Project Members Reject National “Tea Party Patriots” MethodsNovember 12, 2010 Press Release Florida Liberty Alliance

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Tom Tillison

Grass Roots Florida Tea Party, 9/12 Project Members
Reject National “Tea Party Patriots” Methods
In an attempt to intimidate the Congressional Freshman Class, “leaders” of the national “Tea Party Patriots” group embarrass the grass roots Tea Party Movement by releasing the personal phone numbers of freshmen House Members with instructions to their email list to pressure Members into attending a private TPP Freshman Class Orientation.

ORLANDO, FLORIDA – November 12, 2010 – A statement issued to its email list yesterday by the national “Tea Party Patriots” group leadership demands: “Let’s show them that you won’t tolerate politics as usual and show them the power of the Tea Party” – and then breaks with the most basic protocol of respect and reveals the private cell numbers of the entire Congressional Freshman Class to their list to ensure delivery of this message.

Was this grand call to arms justified because of an important piece of legislation under consideration? Were these freshmen legislators engaged in some act of fiscal irresponsibility or constitutional malfeasance? Not exactly. This demand involved a Freshman Class Orientation scheduling conflict with the conservative organization Claremont Institute, unjustifiably attacked by TPP leaders in its statement as a group comprised of nothing but “Washington Insiders”.

“The grass roots Tea Party Movement, where the volunteers on the ground do the real heavy lifting in the Movement, find the message in the TPP statement and the release of private contact information of Congressional Members inexcusable and an embarrassment for all of us,” says Jason Hoyt, co-founder of the Central Florida Tea Party Council.

Many in the Congressional Freshman class are angry about how poorly they have been treated. There are those who are also puzzled by such egregious and meritless behavior imposed on them before they have even been sworn into office.

The Florida Liberty Alliance strongly requests that the leaders of the “Tea Party Patriots” immediately move do all that they can to repair the damage that these actions have caused to the Movement’s relationship with these Congressional Freshmen and the good name of the Tea Party Movement.

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So much for Tea Party Patriots being local after what just happened. Let me get this straight -- Claremont Institute, a conservative think tank, scheduled orientation events for Congress that the head of the Tea Party Patriots, Jenny Beth Martin, says they did on purpose that conflicts with the Tea Party Patriots orientation. Excuse me! What gives her the right to attack Claremont which has done this in the past and give out personal cell phone numbers and email accounts urging people to call or email their Congressman and give them a warning to come to her event or else.

Is this what the Tea Party is evolving into? Yet some people wonder why a lot of us who are long time activists are skeptical about the national organized groups. This bullying is not going to go over coming from the 'my way or no way' crowd. Last I checked it is a free Country and members of Congress and Congressmen/woman-Elect along with the Senate have a right to choose which orientation they want to attend. Her threats and that of others is not going over well from what I am hearing.

Now the Tea Party Patriots go after a Conservative Think Tank and that is alright because after all they are the Tea Party? They gave out personal cell phone numbers and emails of Congressman? Get that personal -- not their official ones but personal accounts but it is okay as they are the Tea Party Patriots and have a right to do that for their cause. What would Conservatives be saying if a Democrat group had done this? Have had some private emails for years and have never given them out to even my best friends because they are just that -- private!

Wonder if Malware is going to be attached to this site for this article like it was for DeMint's article yesterday?

When you keep getting warned not to take on the Tea Party or else, you have to wonder what is really behind all of this. They are sending their emails to the wrong person because I believe in something called 'Freedom of Speech' which seems to only apply to them not someone who doesn't agree. First it was the Tea Party Express which we will have an article later this weekend and now we learn the head of the Tea Party Patriots is threatening Congressman if they don't attend her event.

Looks to us like some people have become very arrogant and believe they rule the world after the media has spent so much time propping them up during the election with tons of articles. How many actual Tea Party members are there that belong to organized national groups? Anyone have a count?

We thought this group was legit but now have to wonder since it is obvious they are also a national group not just local. How many of them are libertarians or libertarian leaning or from the Ron Paul camp is what we would like to know.

This idea because you don't agree with something you are attacked is beyond disgusting. Have stated many times that the ideals of the Tea Party are correct but I am concerned about the national groups who have taken over what started out as grassroots events. How much money are they making off of this and just who is funding these organizations now?

We want transparency since they demand it of Congress which we agree should happen but it time for these national groups to also provide transparency as well as to who is funding them. Hosting these events is not cheap.

Tea Party Group Releases Congress Members' Cell Phone Numbers
November 12, 2010

Some newly elected Republicans may have overflowing in-boxes and many voice mails this week, after a tea party group released the personal e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers of freshman members of Congress.

The leader of the Tea Party Patriots sent an e-mail with the private information to supporters, urging them to contact the GOP Congress members to make sure they stay on the tea party course and avoid being being "co-opted" by Washington insiders, Roll Call reported Friday.

Jenny Beth Martin accused the Claremont Institute, a conservative think tank, of purposefully scheduling orientation programs this weekend that conflict with similar events by her tea party groups.

"We need you to call & e-mail these incoming Congressmen & tell them you want them to attend YOUR Tea Party Patriots event," Martin wrote.

Her message was also posted Thursday on IronMill.com.

"The water in the Potomac is infected with the politics of the past and needs to be boiled to be cleansed and then steeped in fresh tea," Martin wrote. "You are the fresh tea. Today we need your help."

Rep.-elect David McKinley (R-W.Va.) told Roll Call he has received calls from tea party members on his personal cell phone.

"I guess I'm going to have to get used to this," he said.

Claremont Institute President Brian Kennedy told Roll Call he's been receiving harassing calls and e-mails.

"After a mass e-mail was sent out calling for Tea Party members to harass me, effectively, I have received many nasty and threatening calls saying we should 'stand down' and that 'they have my number,'" he wrote in an e-mail.

Source: Politics Daily