The Tea Party Patriots will descend on Washington Thursday to celebrate the organization's fifth anniversary.
"Congressmen, activists, and tea party leadership from across the nation will gather to reflect on why the movement formed, the significant victories it has achieved, and the road ahead in a contentious 2014 as it comes under assault from both sides of the aisle," reads a press release for the event, which will feature Mark Levin, Louie Gohmert, and Michele Bachmann among others.
Most notably, the press release cites "3,400 locally organized chapters and more than 15 million supporters nationwide," which shows a drop in the number of participating groups as compared with previous events. Press releases from 2012 and 2011 cite 3,500 groups.
A Shirley & Banister Public Affairs spokesman who handles public relations for the Tea Party Patriots described the number of participating groups as an "estimate." He said the number was fluid and goes up and down, depending on if groups are "removed for inactivity."