Americans for Tax Reform Policy Director Ryan Ellis criticized what he called “defund terrorists” for their failed attempt to derail Obamacare on a conservative listserv, the Daily Beast reported Friday.

In an Oct. 17 email reviewed by the Daily Beast and sent to a listserv called the Repeal Coalition List, made up of about 200 conservative activists and writers, Ellis wrote that “the Repeal Coalition was hijacked by Defund terrorists. They flew the plane in a new direction and assured us that x, y, and z would follow. Not only did they not follow, but in fact a, b, and c happened.”

Although Americans for Tax Reform opposes Obamacare, even its leader Grover Norquist has been critical of the strategy to defund the health care law, spearheaded by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), for hurting the conservative movement.

Ellis started an uproar on Twitter Wednesday night when he wrote that Tea Party activists are “freaking retarded,” drawing responses from the conservative Madison Project PAC and Redstate.com editor Erick Erickson.