The Tennessee-based Tea Party Nation, a group which even some Tea Party warriors consider a bit "scammy," was forced to cancel its National Tea Party Unity Convention in Las Vegas last year over a lack of demand. But it appears that it may not have canceled promptly enough to avoid paying! So the Las Vegas resort that TPN had booked out is suing the group for hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.

The convention was first planned for July of last year, then postponed to October, then canceled. For the July dates, Tea Party nation had booked 1,637 room nights at the Palazzo hotel, which is part of the Venetian Casino Resort and owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp. The complaint alleges that the money owed in the event of a cancellation has not really been paid! Oh, and there's interest, too.

From the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

According to a contract attached to the complaint, the reservation included an agreement by Tea Party Nation to pay the resort $579,148 in the event of a cancellation, of which the resort alleges the group still owes $554,148. An 18 percent interest charge added $87,996 to the amount the resort wants to collect.

"Now" sounds like the optimal time for the folks behind this fly-by-night Tea Party Nation operation to finally flee the country.

[via Fark]