Anti-Immigration Group May Shut Down And Rebrand Because Of Financial Issues

In an e-mail to supporters Thursday, ALIPAC head William Gheen wrote that for “first time in our organization’s history, we have failed to reach our minimum operational expenses for our final funds drive of 2011. All things being equal, this would put us on a final shutdown date of January 1,” 2012.

But, he told TPM that “we are not closing down, we are making changes to our organization to be able to function better in the very changed economic environment,” and that they are fundraising to help launch a more efficient “ALIPAC 2.0.”

In the e-mail, Gheen first blamed the economic downturn and technical problems with the site for the group’s fundraising troubles, but added that it doesn’t help that “we are having to take issue with different politicians like Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich of whom some of our members have decided to support.”

But, he said, it’s also Obama’s fault, because supporters are so “utterly dismayed by the authoritarian and dictatorial actions of Obama,” that they have become “demoralized” and “are throwing their hands up in exhaustion instead of rallying against Obama.”