By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Thursday, the Rainy Day Patriots (RDP) Tea Party Group and the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs issued a join written statement denying allegations that the Alabama Education Association had formed an alliance with Alabama Tea Party Groups, in order to challenge Republican incumbents in the June 2014 Republican Primaries.
Alabama Legislative Watchdogs Coordinator, Deanna Frankowski, issued a written statement to clarify and defend their group against allegations by Calhoun County Republican Party Chairman Gene Howard that the AEA was funding the Tea Party group. Frankowski and the Rainy Day Patriots wrote,
“A recent newsletter by Gene Howard, Chairman, Calhoun County GOP chair stated that: AEA’s radical new candidate strategy . . . the most liberal political organization in Alabama has devised a new strategy in recruiting candidates for the 2014 general election. AEA is now recruiting Tea Party-leaning groups for candidates to run against Republican incumbents. And they’re giving them big bucks to help undermine the Alabama GOP. It’s their version of guess-who’s-the-new-RINOhiding-out-in-the-Republican-Party. It is obviously a desperation move by AEA.”
Frankowski and the RDP charged, “This comment is Mr. Howard’s opinion and his conclusion on what the AEA is attempting to do and refers to a candidate who was a guest speaker at the Calhoun County Rainy Day Patriots meeting as confirmation of this statement. Mr. Howard has no basis linking AEA to RDP.”
The RDP statement continued,
“To clarify any misunderstanding about this comment, RDP makes the following statement: For almost five years the Rainy Day Patriots and the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs have grown to be some of the most influential and effective conservative grassroots organizations in the State of Alabama. Neither the Rainy Day Patriots nor the Alabama Legislative Watchdogs take any funds from liberal establishment groups. Any and all of our members are private citizens free to do as they please, but not in the name and/or with the support of the Rainy Day Patriots or Alabama Legislative Watchdogs.”
This was previously reported on by the Alabama Political Reporter.
On Thursday, Rainy Day Patriots Legislative Coordinator, Ann Eubanks, told members at the regular meeting that they should be aware that Calhoun County Republican Party Chairman Gene Howard published a article in the Calhoun County Republican newsletter claiming that AEA is now recruiting candidates from the tea party.
Howard reported that State Senate candidate, Tom Sprayberry (R), had accepted $30,000 from the AEA in his bid to primary challenge incumbent Sen. Gerald Dial (R). Eubanks said that Sprayberry is not a Rainy Day Patriot, is not affiliated with the Calhoun County Rainy Day Patriots, and simply spoke to the Calhoun County RDP chapter.
Eubanks said that the Rainy Day Patriots and the Calhoun County and Walker County Rainy Day Patriots have not and do not accept money from the AEA.
