Does anyone else find this as hilarious as I do?
A judge has ordered Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips to pay a six-figure hotel bill for a large number of rooms he booked for a tea party rally, which he later cancelled when the event failed to draw enough attendees.
The Venetian Las Vegas Casino Resort alleged that Phillips had reserved 1,637 rooms for the July 2010 event, and then cancelled the reservations just a few weeks before the scheduled date. He did not pay for the rooms.
In a court order last month, which The Tennessean reported Thursday, a judge ruled that Phillips owed the resort $748,000, including the $554,000 hotel bill and $194,300 in accrued interest.
There’s also a certain amount of irony in this situation, given that the Venetian Hotel is owned by billionaire Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson.
Gonna shock you no doubt with this one here Zach, but I agree with you completely. Phillips is an oaf, more of a con man than any sort of real political activist.
Good for Adelson and Co. for coming down on this idiot and making him pay the money he owes them.
P.S. Venetian’s a great resort.
Venetian’s okay, but I prefer Caesar’s Palace personally.
Couple of one percenters above me!
Hardly.
(at least in my case)
As humorous as it is curious. Have you seen this update on the article? Tea Party Nation Corporation is apparently dissolved.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120809/WILLIAMSON01/308080168/Franklin-lawyer-Tea-Party-Nation-founder-liable-thousands-hotel-bills?odyssey=nav%7Chead
And it would appear to be dissolved as of yesterday:
http://tnbear.tn.gov/Ecommerce/FilingDetail.aspx?CN=131196023105149104180140089254217040135066239135
The deep irony embedded herein is who is going to foot Tea Party Nation’s casino bill? Why, the Tea Party rank and file, of course. Tea Party Nation continues to operate despite its dissolution and recently announced its TPN Travel affiliate program with World Choice Travel. So, when the rank and filers book their travel through the program Tea Party Nation receives a cut. Tea Party Nation boasts: “We are using the free market system to generate revenues to keep this movement going.” Or, uh… to keep Judson Phillips going, perhaps.
Alec Exposed noted that “… in 1999, Phillips filed for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy, and during the past decade he has had three federal tax liens against him, totaling more than $22,000. He states the tax liens have been paid off. Phillips derides what he describes as non-profits ‘begging for money’ with fundraising letters and e-mail solicitations.” Right. Political opportunism is the preferred method. That would mean relying on a free market solution! What a brilliant idea. Get bailed out by fellow “patriots” in the name of the free market!
Also, apparently Tea Party Nation was sued by former independent contractor (Pamela Farnsworth?), one of the organizers of the Tea Party Nation Convention in Nashville where Sarah Palin was keynote speaker. It would seem Phillips has yet to pay this person despite a judgement against him. Not sure about this, but it’s interesting, nonetheless:
http://tnfiredup.wordpress.com/
I can’t help but wonder how uncomfortable it must be being a Tea Party “insider” – Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler resigned earlier this year after philosophical differences; Amy Kremer separated from the Tea Party Patriots less amiably and the group sued her for using TPP’s name; co-founder Jenny Beth Martin later sued her for defamation.
Yikes all around.
I kid I kid. If I was more clever I could come up with a state employee joke but I must be out of clever juice.