Tim Armstrong's AOL has cut its ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council, according to the liberal Common Cause activist group.

It follows high-tech/Internet companies Microsoft, Google, Yelp, Facebook and Google off the ALEC membership.

Notably, Google chairman Eric Schmidt ripped ALEC for "literally lying" about climate change after it determined that it was a "mistake" to give money to the secretive corporate lobbying group.

AOL, which owns Arianna Huffington's Huffington Post, was part of ALEC's communications & technology task force and tax & fiscal policy task force.

Common Cause had a petition drive asking AOL to end ties to ALEC. More than 21K people signed it.

News Corp., Occidental Petroleum, International Paper and SAP have either left or are in the process of leaving ALEC.

Founded in 1970 by John Gardner, chairman of the Urban Coalition Action Council, Common Cause bills itself at the original citizen's lobby pushing for open, honest and accountable government in DC and in the states.