Americans For Tax Reform Bomb Threat: Grover Norquist Office Evacuated After Bomb Scare

The offices of Americans for Tax Reform, the anti-tax group run by conservative activist Grover Norquist, were evacuated Monday morning after a bomb threat.

Norquist's office contacted the Washington Metropolitan Police Department around 9 a.m. on Monday after the bomb threat was called into the ATR office, according to The Hill.

Anthony Clay, a police spokesperson, told Politico that a bomb unit searched the office and found no explosives.

"The police are conducting an investigation," John Kartch, director of communications for Americans for Tax Reform, wrote in an email to The Hill.

The Republican Party has long been beholden to Americans for Tax Reform, which is headed by Norquist. He has loomed large on the periphery of the debt ceiling debate as members of Congress struggle to reach a deal.

Norquist's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," which nearly all Republican members of Congress have signed, says signatories will never vote to raise taxes. According to Norquist, the pledge has also ruled out voting to end certain tax breaks and subsidies without using the resulting money to lower rates elsewhere.

Last week, Norquist appeared to signal that ending the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy would not be considered a tax increase under the pledge -- which would have given the Republican party breathing room to reach a compromise on the debt ceiling.

But Norquist quickly shut the door on such speculation in a New York Times op-ed.