Report: FreedomWorks drops resistance to Romney as GOP nominee

FreedomWorks, an influential Tea Party organization that has campaigned against Mitt Romney in the past, is dropping its resistance to the candidate in light of his lead in the delegate count.

“It is a statistical fact that the numbers favor Mitt Romney,” FreedomWorks Vice President Russ Walker told The Washington Times following Romney's win in the Illinois primary. 

Romney has struggled to win support within the grassroots conservative movement, but now holds a strong lead in the delegate count. Although none of the candidates is near the required 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, Romney's count is more than double that of his nearest rival, Rick Santorum.

Walker said the group is dedicated to defeating Obama, indicating that its decision is ultimately pragmatic and not necessarily an endorsement.

He added that the Tea Party is a “leaderless movement, so it will be up to individuals to decide when and where they put their support.” 

FreedomWorks has previously sent emails to its extensive list of supporters detailing its disagreement with Romney as the prospective nominee and calling him an “establishment candidate." The group also protested Romney's inclusion in a Tea Party Express event in New Hampshire last year, at the time warning that Romney had "consistently supported expanding the role of government through government-run healthcare, Wall Street bailouts and spending hikes."'

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