Report: FreedomWorks leader accused Dick Armey of 'attempted hostile takeover'

The president of the conservative activist group FreedomWorks accused former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-TX) of trying to hijack the group as part of an "attempted hostile takeover" of the organization, according to documents obtained by Mother Jones.

In the memo, Matt Kibbe says Armey, who founded and led the group before resigning on Dec. 4, voted to oust Kibbe from the board in September. Kibbe said fellow board member James Burnley IV helped Armey carry out his plan of having him replaced by C. Boyden Gray on the board.

"Bottom Line: The Actions Of The Trustees Put FreedomWorks Values and Mission at Risk," Kibbe wrote. "They have put personal and political agendas above the agenda of freedom."

Kibbe's memo was a response to a Dec. 12 letter from Gray and Burnley to him, ordering him to cooperate with an outside investigation of unspecified "wrongdoing" by two attorneys, David Martin and Alfred Regnery. The letter also directed FreedomWorks to pay Regnery a $25,000 advance fee.

The angry correspondence is the latest episode in the acrimonious parting between Armey and FreedomWorks. At the time of his departure, Armey forbade the group from using his name and likeness in perpetuity. According to Newsmax, he also received an $8 million buyout when he left, in order to avoid a legal battle with Kibbe.

Armey dismissed Kibbe's accusations, telling Mother Jones, "One of the most fascinating art forms in Washington is that of the perpetrator as victim. Matt Kibbe seems to have maintained it with this memorandum."