Dick Armey splits from Tea Party group

AP Photo: File. IMAGE: Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey

12/4/12 By Jack Gillum

Former House Majority leader says he resigned from his role as chairman of FreedomWorks over an unspecified 'matter of principle.'

WASHINGTON — Former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey has left a conservative Tea Party group, FreedomWorks, under a secret deal that will pay him $8 million.

A confidential contract obtained by the Associated Press shows that Armey agreed in September to resign from his role as chairman of Washington-based FreedomWorks in exchange for $8 million in consulting fees paid in annual $400,000 installments. The person behind the payout is Richard J. Stephenson, a prominent fundraiser and founder and chairman of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a national cancer treatment network.

Armey confirmed his departure Tuesday, telling The Associated Press that "my differences with FreedomWorks are a matter of principle." He would not describe his specific concerns.

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