Failed tea party rally leaves attorney with $748,000 bill

Two years after local attorney Judson Phillips failed to lure tea party activists to a rally in Las Vegas, a judge is ordering him to pay the bill for a slew of hotel rooms he booked for the event.

Phillips, the founder of the for-profit corporation Tea Party Nation, owes the Venetian Casino Resort more than $748,000, according to the ruling. The hotel alleged Phillips reserved 1,637 room nights for a July 2010 event but then canceled the gathering just a few weeks prior.

A claim was filed against Phillips in July of last year.

The judgment, handed down last month by the Clark County District Court, represents the unpaid bill of $554,000 plus nearly two years of interest charges for another $194,300.

Phillips did not immediately return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment on the decision, nor did the attorney for the Venetian Casino Resort.