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The Indivisible Guidehas become a 26-page must-read for people looking to oppose President Trumps agenda. The guide which has been viewed or downloaded more than 2 million times, according to the organization also offers a supplemental section on how to demand copies of Trumps tax returns.

Is Trump colluding with Russia or enriching himself off the presidency? Until we see Trumps tax returns, we cannot be certain that foreign governments dont have leverage over Trump that can be used to influence American policy, saysthe supplement.

Yet this progressive political organization which is founded and staffed by former congressional staffers has not disclosed where its money is coming from.

The California Report requested financial statements and donor lists for the group. Indivisible spokespeople told us theyve raised more than $2.2 million from 30,000 individual donations since they started accepting donations in January, including some foundation money and dollars from high net worth individuals. They declined repeated requests to name any of these individuals.

Nonprofit organizations often cite privacy concerns as a reason to not disclose their donor lists, and Indivisible says it is no different. Angel Padilla, a former Democratic congressional staffer and one of the founders of Indivisible, saidthose privacy concerns arethe only thing stopping Indivisible from releasing the names of its donors.

Sarah Bryner, research director for the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit that tracks money in politics, saidIndivisible has no legal obligation to disclose its donors if it doesnt run election ads supporting or opposing a particular candidate. Indivisible hasnt done that yet, but it is set up as a 501(c)(4), adesignation that allows the organization toengage in political activity, so long as that is not its primary activity.

If theyre trying to influence election outcomes, we feel like people should know about whos funding those efforts, said Bryner. But theres also the question of privacy for donors, and if theyre not spending money in such a way that they would be influencing those election outcomes, then generally people defer towards protecting that privacy.

TheOrigin Story

On election night, Padilla, one of the groups founders, was hanging out with friends and other former congressional staffers, expecting to watch the first femalepresident get elected.

Watching the forecasting flip throughout the course of the night was a traumatic experience, said Padilla.

In the following days, asTrumps victory began to set in, and progressives in California and across the country started planning their resistance, Padilla and his friends realized they could play a unique role.

We, as former staffers, realized that weve kind of been through this before but on the flip side, he said. We were on the Hill when Obama was first elected, when Congress was controlled by Democrats, and we saw how organized local activism was able to slow down much of the Obama agenda.

These staffers had seen the rise and success of the Tea Party and thought they could use thosetactics local activism and defensive politics to accomplish the same thing, but on the other end of the political spectrum. The goal: stymie Trump and take back Congress.

They put together a public Google document with insider tips forinfluencing members of Congress, which eventually morphed into the 26-page Indivisible Guide and ultimately the fully fledged nonprofit organization helping local groups organize against the Trump presidency.

Like us, you probably deeply disagree with the principles and positions of the Tea Party, the founders wrote in their guide. But we can all learn from their success in influencing the national debate and the behavior of national policymakers.

Tea Party of the Left

As the Tea Party gained power and national recognition, many started asking who was funding what appeared to be a grass-roots movement. Multiple media organizations dug into the groups financesand reported that Americans for Prosperity a conservative political advocacy group founded by billionaire Republican mega-donors David and Charles Koch had been working with and supporting the Tea Party from its inception.

So what about Indivisible? Who are they getting their money from?

Last month, the group published its fundraising philosophy, which is centered on four guiding principles: a focus on small donations; diversified funding sources; only accepting funds from those who support and uphold our progressive values; and making fundraising thesecondary focus to supporting local chapters.

We wont take money from an organization that we dont think is a progressive organization, said Padilla. If there are things they might be involved in that we disagree with, we wont take their money.

The group also says it wont take money from political parties, leaders or candidates to avoid any appearance of influence on our strategy, said Padilla. That includes Hillary Clinton, who sent an email to her supporters last month announcing the formation of her new political group and naming Indivisible, among other groups, as an organization it planned to financially support.

Padilla saidIndivisible was thankful to be recognized by Clinton, but would not be accepting donations from Clintons group or asking for donor lists from her, the Democratic Party or other elected officials.

We didnt want it to seem like we were getting money directly from Hillary Clinton, he said. We wanted to make sure to everyone that we are maintaining our independence.

Independent or Institution?

But the Tea Party, the group that Indivisible hopes to emulate, doesnt buy the talk of independence.

You didnt see Karl Rove or John Boehner or Mitch McConnell embrace the Tea Party like youre seeing Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Party [embrace Indivisible], saidTaylor Budowich, executive director of the Tea Party Express, one of the most successful national Tea Party organizations. If there was some sincere organic nature to [Indivisible], its been from day one co-opted by the major Democratic and left institutions.

Budowich finds the talk of Indivisible being the Tea Party of the left and copying his groups tactics silly, he said. It was hisgroups message lower taxes and less government regulation that resonated with voters and got them engaged, according to Budowich, as opposed to any specifictactics.

He is open, though, to the possibilitythat Indivisible could succeed like the Tea Party has and saidits doing a good job of knocking on doors, protesting town halls and raising money. But he arguesits ties to the Democratic Party establishment make it fundamentally different from the Tea Party.

We control literally every branch of government, and weve redefined what the Republican Party is, said Budowich, of the Tea Party. So, in many ways, this grass-roots movement has co-opted an institution. That cant happen with this movement on the left, because its already the same thing.

The Next Step in a Strategy

Indivisible founder Padilla saidtheir group is in a stronger position now than the Tea Party was at this point eight years ago, citing better-than-expected results for Democratic challengers in special elections to fill seats in traditionally Republican congressional districts.

But Budowich pointedout that Democrats have failed to win any of those seats, while Tea Party-supported Republican Scott Brown surprised many by winning the open U.S. Senate seat in Massachusetts in 2010.

To achieve a similarvictory, Indivisible would likely have to continue its imitation of the Tea Party by endorsing candidates for office which brings it back to the question of political funding.

Right now, it seems like were talking mostly about a grass-roots organization that hasnt started doing that kind of electioneering yet, saidBryner, of the Center for Responsive Politics. If they were to do that, then yes, that [donor] information would need to become public.

Indivisible is currently formulating an electoral strategy that it hopes will replicate the Tea Partys success in getting like-minded candidates into office. The group hired Maria Urbina, who used to work for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to be itspolitical director and create a plan.

That strategy and how far Indivisible chooses to stepinto the electoral arena will ultimately determine how much financial information needs to be made public.

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Who's Funding the Anti-Trump Movement? We Don't Know - KQED

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The Boston Tea Party - Dec 16, 1773 - HISTORY.com

An afternoon tea or Victorian tea party may be one of the most delightful and informal affairs in the whole social round or it may be an unmitigated bore. It all depends upon the hostess. If she is a wise woman she will limit her guests to the afternoon tea to the number her house can accommodate with ease, and have her hours long enough to avoid all coming at the same time; she will have some regard to making her guests to her afternoon tea acquainted if they have not already met; and she will furnish forth her tea table so invitingly that those who come perfunctorily will remain to chat over the teacups, and pay her the compliment of forgetting the time of day.

[Source:Harper's Bazaar, 1890-1907]

On a cold winter's afternoon a bright open fire is one of the things to have at a truly Victorian tea party. Near enough to the fire to look cozy should stand the prettiest of afternoon tea tables; not one of the small affairs which will hold only a half-dozen cups, but a good-sized one capable of practical service.

In the center should be a bowl of flowers and about it two candelabra or several individual candlesticks with or without candleshades. Scattered between will be room for plates of sandwiches, cakes, bonbons, and salted nuts or crystallized fruits, while at one side the tea or coffee urn may stand, or the chocolate pot, and at the other side may be a large punch bowl of lemonade or tea punch.

Of course the quantity and variety of the refreshments at a Victorian tea party must depend on the size of the gathering. If only a dozen or two are invited, then the simpler things are the better, but if the afternoon tea is really a function, then something more elaborate is in keeping. If one plans to have tea, chocolate, and lemonade for beverages, she must consider how most easily she can handle them. Tea made with a kettle of boiling water and a tea-ball is all very well for three or four persons, but one cannot serve more at a large afternoon tea without a delay while the water slowly comes to the boiling-point.

The urn is the best thing to use for a large number of guests at an afternoon tea. Have the tea made in the kitchen and carefully strained; then put it in the urn and light the lamp and it will keep fresh for hours. Serve your refreshments in an antique tea service , such as this rare Tiffany & Company tea service, for a truly Victorian tea party.Other silver serving pieces in a more affordable range can be found in local antique stores.

Have cream, sugar, and sliced lemons on the table, and, if you fancy a novelty, try putting two cloves in each cup and pouring the hot tea upon them, removing them before passing the cup. Coffee and bouillon should be served from an urn, and the cups used for either of these, and for tea as well, should be the small flaring teacups, not after-dinner coffee cups.

If you are so fortunate as to own a Russian samovar, and it certainly gives the best tea in the world for a Victorian tea party, do not use cups at all, but tall, slender glasses, passed on small plates, and put a slice of lemon in each glass.

Antique chocolate pots resemble vases or urns, and the cups which are used with them flare at the top somewhat as the teacups do. Of course when chocolate is offered at an afternoon tea, whipped cream is put on it when it is served.

When the lemonade is made, shredded oranges, bananas, and pineapple may be used, but it is to be strained before it is put in the bowl, and a few maraschino or preserved cherries added. A small ladle is used for filling the glass cups which invariably accompany a punch bowl. Tea punch is made by using hot tea instead of water for lemonade, adding the fruits as before, but putting it, when ice cold, into a glass pitcher instead of a bowl, and placing a large bunch of sugared mint in the mouth.

Caf frapp is strong coffee, well sweetened, and with a good deal of cream which is frozen to the consistency of wet snow. It is served from the bowl in glasses at a simple Victorian tea party.

The sandwiches offered at afternoon teas are of infinite variety; sometimes they are filled with a salad mixture, sometimes with a sweet, and often with some sort of nuts with cream or fruit. They are cut in circles or triangles or hearts, or else rolled. To make salad sandwiches, chop and pound chicken or turkey to a paste, and mix with mayonnaise, or spread crisp lettuce leaves with mayonnaise and put between the slices. Olives, chopped very fine, make an excellent salad sandwich, either plain or, like the others, with a dressing. Delicious sandwiches are made by using the very thinnest possible shavings of lemon, and cucumbers with French dressing are also appetizing, provided not too much of the rather strongly flavored vegetable is used.

Sweet sandwiches for an afternoon tea are made of orange marmalade or pear conserve, which is a rich jam with considerable ginger cooked in it. Jelly is sometimes used, but it is not sufficiently stiff to be practical; jam or marmalade is far better. Peach or apricot is most delicate; red raspberry is occasionally seen, but the seeds are decidedly objectionable. Besides these two kinds of sandwiches there are many prepared with nuts which are also very nice for a Victorian tea party. Boston brown bread two days old, cut very thin, spread first with a little butter and then with cream cheese mixed with chopped peanuts is one of the best of sandwiches, but care must be taken not to have the bread damp or soggy. Whole wheat bread may be prepared with this same filling. Raisins and chopped English walnuts are nice, and so are chopped dates and almonds together. Often whipped cream is used with those nut fillings, to bind them.

The cake served at an afternoon tea should always be of the lightest sort. It is never wise to offer any sort of layer or fruit cake, or anything which is sticky. There are all kinds of wafers and nut strips which are easily prepared at home which are delicious, and certainly far more tempting than the ordinary things bought from the baker. A variety of choices will make a successful Victorian tea party.

Strips of puff paste may be covered with chopped almonds mixed with the slightly beaten white of one egg, and just browned in the oven; lady-fingers may be rolled in boiled frosting and allowed to dry; saltines may be covered with sweet melted chocolate, with a very little butter mixed in.

Little cakes may be made in small baking-dishes, the smaller the better, and rolled in boiled icing colored and flavored with orange, rose, lemon, or pistachio, and these may be ornamented, if desired, with tiny strips of angelica, or bits of candied cherries or nuts cut in lengths.

Ice cream sandwiches are new at an afternoon tea, but many are afraid to attempt them, as they seem difficult to manage; they are very simple, on the contrary. Get white ice cream in bricks, as firmly packed as possible, and slice it on a marble slab; then with a round biscuit cutter cut out circles from the slices, and put them between macaroons. Or cut the slices in strips of the right size to fit between two sugar wafers. Serve these sandwiches on small plates with forks for a fun treat at a Victorian tea party for children.

The bonbons used at afternoon teas may be all chocolates, or else peppermints or creams, matching the flowers in color, or they may be delicious confections in paper cases, such as marrons glacs or strips of orange and lemon candied. In any case they should be something dainty, and, if possible, something not seen on every table. If salted nuts are used, try having pecans instead of almonds, and mix a few green pistachio nuts with them; the contrast is pretty, and almonds have been used so long as to be tiresome.

Sometimes an afternoon tea is really an elaborate reception more than a Victorian tea party; in that case it is almost essential to have a caterer, for the decorations and refreshments are too troublesome for the ordinary hostess to prepare. There must be flowers and light in profusion, a table loaded with delicacies, and many waiters to serve. There is usually a first course of bouillon, followed by something in the way of shell-fish, perhaps creamed oysters or lobster, with sandwiches; after that is a salad, chicken, or shrimp, and then ices in forms, fancy cakes, bonbons, and coffee, lemonade, or punch. The table at an afternoon tea has a centerpiece of roses and ferns, candles in silver candelabra, set pieces of spun sugar with fruits and sweets; and sometimes arrangements of whipped cream in colored sugar shapes.

Tea drinkers at the 1894 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago had a chance to revel in their favorite beverage as never before. In the fairs tiny Japanese tea garden, that was like a bit out of another world, visitors thronged all day long with people who drank tea all their lives and who stopped for a fleeting moment to enjoy an afternoon tea. On the porch of the ceremonial tea house in the Japanese Tea Garden they were always making tea, and such strong, rich, fragrant tea it was, too. The visitor sat on a brightly colored soft cushion and sipped tea and nibbled on the sugar cakes which accompanied it. Afterward went peering around in the tiny rooms of the doll house that the tea people called home. Today, California possesses one of the most unique bits of landscape gardening in America a miniature Japanese tea garden, faithfully reproduced in the prettiest portion of the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

Hand-painting china was an easy and popular pastime for ladies during the Victorian era. An admired project was decorating white china tea and dessert sets with floral motifs. See how to make a Victorian tea set with original Victorian designs and instructions for a teacup, saucer, and dessert plate featuring a colorful floral pattern and a hummingbird. Create a set for entertaining Victorian style.

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Victorian Tea Party - How to Host a Victorian Afternoon Tea

Wilton Historical Society invites all first- to fifth-graders to a magical Mad Hatter Tea Party to celebrate the end of the school year from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21.

Wilton Historical Society invites all first- to fifth-graders to a magical Mad Hatter Tea Party to celebrate the end of the school year from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21.

Mad Hatter Tea Party for elementary students

WILTON Wilton Historical Society invites all first- to fifth-graders to a magical Mad Hatter Tea Party to celebrate the end of the school year from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21.

Youngsters in grades one through five will gather on the lawn wearing party clothes and a hat in honor of the occasion. Museum educator Lola Chen will be supervising the madcap fun.

There will be plenty of lawn games, including sack races, a teacup relay, and flamingo croquet. It wouldnt be a tea party without tea sandwiches, teacakes and cookies (nut free) and, of course, Mad Hatter-style tea.

The cost to attend is $15 for members and $25 for non-members. To register, email info@wiltonhistorical.org or call 203-762-7257. The Wilton Historical Society is at 224 Danbury Road.

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Mad Hatter Tea Party for elementary students - Thehour.com

Jim DeMint, the former president of the Heritage Foundation, is joining the Convention of the States Project as a senior adviser.(Photo: Evan Vucci, AP)

WASHINGTON Former South Carolina senator Jim DeMint, ousted last month as head of the Heritage Foundation think tank, is joining a fast-growing, conservative movement that is pushing states to seek a constitutional convention to rein in federal spending and power.

DeMint, a prominent figure among the Tea Party activists who helped Republicans seize control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, will serve as a senior adviser to the Convention of the States Project, providing a jolt to its efforts to marshal grassroots support for a state-led movement to amend the U.S. Constitution.

News of DeMints role was provided first to USA TODAY, and a formal announcement is expected Monday.

Under Article Vof the Constitution, there are two avenues to propose amendments: Two-thirds of each house of Congress can vote to do so or two-thirds of the states 34 in total can request the convention.

In either case, three-fourths of the states or 38 states must ratify any amendment proposed by convention delegates.

The USA has not held a constitutional convention since the first one in 1787, but proponents of a state-led conclave see growing momentum for their cause. Twelve states already have adopted the groups call, and its leaders hope to add 10 to 15 next year. A separate effort demanding a convention to consider a balanced budget amendment already has the support of 27 states.

The Tea Party needs a new mission, DeMint told USA TODAY. They realize that all the work they did in 2010 has not resulted in all the things they hoped for. Many of them are turning to Article V.

DeMint and other proponents of a state-led convention say the timing is right. Populist anger with Washington helped sweep President Trump into office. At the state level, Republicans now dominate, controlling both legislative chambers in 32 states and governors mansions in 33.This is a perfect time for us, DeMint said. People are disgusted with Washington. They are ready to move power back closer to home.

The movement DeMint is joining asks for a convention covering three sweeping topics: imposing fiscal restraint on Washington, reducing the federal governments authority over states and imposing term limits on federal officials.

The group said the convention that results from the state applications could also propose a range of amendments from one requiring the federal government to balance the budget or to one ending lifetime appointments for federal judges, including Supreme Court justices.

Dramatic action is needed, advocates say, because they say Congress will not act on its own to curb what they view as runaway spending and the federal governments overreachYou cant drain the swamp, said former Oklahoma senator Tom Coburn, who joined the group after leaving Congress in 2014 and has written a book, Smashing the DC Monolopy, about the effort. You have to muzzle the alligators.

At the center of the effort: Mark Meckler, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, and his nonprofit, Citizens for Self-Governance. Meckler has teamed up with other conservative groups, including American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), to advance the plan at the state level.

Former Oklahoma senator Tom Coburn is pushing states to call for a convention to amend the Constitution.(Photo: Sean Dougherty, USA TODAY)

DeMint, a conservative firebrand, made his political mark as an early backer of upstarts such as Utahs Mike Lee and Texas Ted Cruz, helping to elect them to the Senate and pull the chamber further to the right. He left the Congress in 2012 to run Heritage.

Last month, Heritages board of directors voted to remove DeMint, citing worsening management issues. In an interview, DeMint called his abrupt firing perplexing.

Heritage has never been more effective or influential, but clearly the board decided to take a different direction, he said. Frankly, I am fine with that and what I am doing now with the convention of the states.

Later this month, DeMint hits the road for the group and will travel to North Carolina, where the states Senate passed a resolution in April for a convention of the states. Advocates are pressing the North Carolina House to do the same.Later this summer, he will travel to Denver to address conservative state legislators at ALECs annual gathering. ALEC, whose members include Republican lawmakers and business interests, writes model legislation, allowing conservative lawmakers to quickly replicate bills across the country. It hasadopted the Article V languageadvanced by Mecklers group.

Read more:

Jim DeMint ousted at Heritage Foundation

The effort faces big hurdles. For starters, the country has never called together all 50 states for an amendment-writing convention.

Legal questions abound: Would the convention be open to the public? Is it fair to allow tiny states like Maine to have the same power as populous states like California at a convention? And how would states prevent a runaway convention that could make wholesale changes to the Constitution on everything from religion and gun rights?

Proponent say their application limits of the scope of a convention to amendments that deal with federal term limits, fiscal restraints on the federal government and limits on Washingtons power.

Bu some legal experts question whether organizers can limit the topics at all.When theres a constitutional convention, in a sense, all bets are off, said Michael Gerhardt, an expert on the Constitution and a law professor at the University of North Carolina. I would think almost anything would be fair game.

As the under-the-radar movement gains steam, some liberal groups and Democratic legislators are scrambling to block proponents from reaching the two-thirds threshold. This year, New Mexico, Maryland and Nevada all rescinded their applications for a convention, some of them on the books for decades.Delaware did so last year.

Opponents say the topics described by the convention advocates are broad enough to bring sweeping change.This idea of opening up our Constitution, which gives everyone in the country our basic protections, is a bad idea, particularly in this hyper-partisan environment, said Viki Harrison, the executive director of Common Cause New Mexico. She helped lead the successful effort to yank New Mexicos convention applications one of which dated to 1951.

Its the biggest sleeper in the country right now, said of the convention of the states movement. People dont know about it and dont realize the threat of a runaway convention.

Meckler said his group has about 2.3 million supporters, including some 80,000 active volunteers, as it works to develop political operations in most states. DeMint will have a paid position with the group.

Citizens for Self-Governance saw its annual receipts grow to $5.7 million in 2015, according to its most recent publicly available tax returns show.

As a nonprofit, it does not have to publicly disclose its donors. But separate tax filings show a foundation affiliated with conservative hedge-fund billionaire BobMercer and his daughter Rebekah, donated $500,000 to the group in 2014.

In this Nov. 3, 2010, file photo Tea Party Patriots co-founder Mark Meckler, right, with Jenny Beth Martin, speaks at a news conference.(Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP)

The Mercers emerged as big financial supporters of Ted Cruzs presidential bid in 2016 before backing Trump in the general election. Rebekah Mercer served on Trumps transition team and is closely aligned with top White House adviser Stephen Bannon. She also serves on Heritages board.

Meckler said the Mercer donation was a one-time grant, although hed welcome more financial support from the family.

In all, more than 70,000 grassroots donors back the group, he said. Meckler would not reveal the identities of larger donors, saying they would be endlessly harassed should their identities become public. We disclose what we are legally required to disclose, he said.

Meckler said he believes his movement could hit a tipping point mirroring the voter anger over President Obamas health-care law that helped mobilize Tea Party activists into a political force.The American people are fed up. Trump is not the solution. Hes a symptom of that frustration, he said. The American people are seeing that didnt solve the problem, so now what? Eventually, they will come to this solution.

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Jim DeMint joins growing 'convention of the states' movement - USA TODAY