Vice Chairman Temporarily Leads Columbia TEA Party

Vice Chairman of the Columbia TEA Party David Hartfield is temporarily leading the organization after .

The board of directors will elect a new chairman soon, Olson said.

Olson announced Tuesday that he is endorsing former U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich for president. Read Olson's endorsement letter here.

The Columbia TEA Party has a policy of not endorsing candidates — a policy Olson suggested himself.  

Olson said resigning his post to endorse a candidate was something he "thought [he] would never do." 

"The reason I endorsed Newt Gingrich was because I'm tired of seeing other candidates being propped up by the Republican establishment again," Olson said. "They're choosing our candidates for us."  

Olson pointed to  and as examples. 

"They're trying to tie [Perry] to the tea party and I know for a fact that the tea party in Texas was never behind him," Olson said. 

Olson will help build a grassroots movement for Gingrich in South Carolina over the next year, he said.

"In my personal opinion, I believe he's the only one offering up real solutions in line with party values," Olson said. 

The Columbia TEA Party