Tea Party Pot Stirred at Surreal Orlando Deposition

In a lengthy and, at times, surreal deposition, Tea Party activist Everett Wilkinson was grilled by rival TEA Party officials this month.

Wilkinson, who sued the Florida TEA Party headed by Frederic O'Neal over misappropriating the "Tea" name, comes off in the 129-page deposition as a somewhat disconnected, even clueless, leader of the legal fight.

Under questioning by O'Neal, an Orlando attorney, Wilkinson said he:

* didn't know who is funding the lawsuit;
* didn't recall signing a retainer agreement;
* hadn't met "his" attorneys until the day before the deposition (nearly a month after the U.S. District Court hearing on the suit);
* didn't remember any conversation with Michael Caputo about the suit, though he admitted talking via phone with the Republican political operative "every couple of days."

Caputo told Sunshine State News last month that he was personally funding the legal challenge to the tune of $20,000 a month. But Wilkinson, with attorney Gustavo Sardina sitting alongside, said, "I have no knowledge (of who's funding it.)"

Wilkinson's suit alleges that the Tea name was illegally appropriated when O'Neal registered the Florida TEA Party with the state in August, 2009. Wilkinson said he had started using the name in May, 2009. Since then, he has variously referred to himself as the chairman of the Florida Tea Party and state director of the South Florida Tea Party.

In justifying the lawsuit, Wilkinson said his Tea group and O'Neal's political party, which is fielding 21 candidates this year's elections, represent "two different things," though Wilkinson could not describe the TEA Party's platform.