Maybe They’re Finally Interested In Constitutional Government?
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Federal agents have been all over FreedomWorks websites in the past two years, logging onto the website more than 3,700 times. Visitor logs revealed that agents of the IRS, DHS, the FBI, the White House and other federal agencies. The main items of interest was the staff page, which features photography and videos shot by the editor of The Libertarian Republic.
FreedomWorks is a Tea Party affiliated organization that spreads the message of liberty and free markets through grassroots activism. Their primary focus is motivating volunteer activists to work for limited government in their localities. (Full disclosure: I was an employee at the organization for almost a year)
White House staff reportedly spent “a huge amount of time” on the site according to Vice President Adam Brandon. “I was under the impression that the Department of Homeland Security’s main mission was to thwart terrorism attacks on the United States,” Brandon said in an interview with Newsmax. “Shouldn’t they be spending time looking at groups like al-Qaida? What do they fear from FreedomWorks?”
One anonymous staffer claimed that it was “not surprising”. Another said it was “creepy” and then continued, “Frankly, it is disturbing that agents of the federal government, who we already know are invading our private lives through any means possible, are also allocating significant resources to checking out our pictures. Who knows who these people are or what they are trying to learn, but I’m pretty certain the American people could find a more valuable use of taxpayer dollars.”
FreedomWorks reports that the Department of Homeland Security was most active on the site, tracking 1,560 visits. It’s unknown what the visits were for. President of the org Matt Kibbe said that it’s ‘curious’ they are under such scrutiny considering “the flurry of scandals and abuses coming out of the intelligence-collection agencies of the federal government this year.”
“We would appreciate any clarification that the DHS can provide on these questions,” Kibbe added.