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Rebekah Mercer

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Rebekah Mercer (born December 6, 1973) is an American heiress and Republican political donor,[2][3] and director of the Mercer Family Foundation.

Rebekah Mercer
Born (1973-12-06) December 6, 1973 (age 50)
Yorktown Heights, New York,
U.S.
EducationCornell University
Stanford University (BS, MS)
Occupation(s)Director, Emerdata Limited[1]
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSylvain Mirochnikoff (2003–2018)
FamilyRobert Mercer (father)

Mercer began overseeing day-to-day operations of political projects for the Mercer family when the Mercers became involved in conservative causes.[2][4][5][6][7][8] Her father, billionaire Robert Mercer, said in November 2017 that he had sold his stake in the news site Breitbart to his daughters.[9] In August 2018, she funded and co-founded the social networking service Parler.[10][11]

Early life and education

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Mercer is the second of three daughters of Diana Lynne (Dean) and billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer.[12] She was raised in Yorktown Heights, New York, a suburb of New York City.[6]

Mercer enrolled at Cornell University and later transferred to Stanford University, where she studied biology and mathematics. In 1999, she earned her master's degree in management science and engineering.[6][13]

Career

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She worked as a Wall Street trader at Renaissance Technologies, the hedge fund her father helped lead. In 2006, Mercer and her sisters purchased Ruby et Violette, a New York City company[14] that sells cookies and brownies online.[15][4][8] In 2010, she bought six adjoining apartment units in Donald Trump's 41-story Heritage at Trump Place.[16]

Political involvement

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Mercer first became engaged in conservative politics in 2012 after Mitt Romney's defeat in the 2012 presidential election. She spoke to a group of wealthy conservative donors at the University Club of New York about what the Republican Party had done wrong in canvassing and technology operations during the election.[6]

The following year, in 2013, Mercer helped start Reclaim New York with Steve Bannon. The organization trains citizens to watch their government closely, and uses freedom of information laws to force the New York government to disclose public spending.[6]

In 2014, Mercer joined The Heritage Foundation's board of trustees.[6]

In September 2016, Politico called her "the most powerful woman in GOP politics."[17] She has been more aligned with the anti-establishment part of the Republican Party than most big Republican donors.[6] Newsmax Media owner Christopher Ruddy called her the "First Lady of the Alt-Right".[2]

Mercer supported Mitt Romney in the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries.

2016 presidential election

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In 2016, Mercer supported Ted Cruz in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries. She led Keep the Promise I, a Super PAC, which was the largest source of financial support in support of Cruz's campaign.[6]

After Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination, however, she and her father switched their support to Trump. Mercer supported Jeff Sessions for U.S. Attorney General and against Mitt Romney, who Trump was considering for U.S. Secretary of State.[2][7]

Mercer and her father contributed $25 million during the 2016 presidential election.[5]

In June 2016, Mercer created the Defeat Crooked Hillary PAC, and ran the organization's daily operations.[5] The PAC was incorporated with the Federal Election Commission as Make America Number 1[18] and supported Trump in the general election, including making anti-Hillary Clinton advertisements.[18][19]

During the 2016 presidential election, Mercer proposed creating a searchable database for Hillary Clinton's e-mails in the public domain and then forwarded this suggestion to several people, including Alexander Nix the CEO of Cambridge Analytica, who e-mailed the request to Julian Assange.[20][21] Assange denied Nix's request.[22] Mercer worked with Steve Bannon to create the film Clinton Cash.[8] She has consulted extensively with former Democratic strategist and pollster Patrick Caddell on campaigns.[23]

The Mercers stood behind Trump following release of the Access Hollywood tape was leaked in late 2016, dismissing Trump's claim of grabbing women's genitals against their will[24] as "locker room braggadocio."[25]

Trump administration

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Mercer directs the Mercer Family Foundation and served on the executive committee of Trump's first presidential transition team.[26]

People close to the transition said she opposed Corey Lewandowski as RNC chair, noting that Lewandowski had reportedly resisted paying for services from Cambridge Analytica, a data firm funded by the Mercers early in the campaign, though a close associate of Mercer's denied the stories.[27] Lewandowski was not, however, supported for the RNC position and did not obtain it. Paul Manafort, Kellyanne Conway's predecessor as campaign director, who was also said to be critical of Cambridge Analytica, had worked for Ted Cruz and was financially backed by the Mercers.[17] Conway reportedly said that, after Trump's inauguration, the expectation was that Mercer would likely lead an outside group, funded by her father, aimed at bolstering Trump's agenda. It was assumed that Cambridge Analytica would also assist the group's efforts.[15]

The Mercers first introduced Steve Bannon to Donald Trump.[9] Mercer helped create the film Clinton Cash with Bannon, a top political adviser to Trump at the time.[8] She has been one of Bannon's main financial contributors.[28][29]

In late 2017, Bannon told several conservative donors that Mercer had pledged her financial support if he decided to run for president in 2020 against Trump. However, Mercer was frustrated by his comments to the media and disagreed with his public comments in support for Roy Moore, who was under fire for sexual misconduct allegations involving young girls.

In January 2018, a person familiar with conversations between Mercer and Bannon said Mercer would no longer back Bannon financially.[29] Mercer said that she had not spoken to Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in the early months of the Trump administration, in many months but that she continued to support Trump.[13][3]

Breitbart News

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Further information: Breitbart News

Mercer and her father, Robert Mercer were key financial benefactors for Breitbart News. Larry Solov, the CEO of Breitbart, said in February 2017 that the Mercers are part-owners of the media outlet.[5] Robert Mercer announced in November 2017 that he had sold his stake in the website to his daughters.[9]

Cambridge Analytica

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Main article: Cambridge Analytica

Cambridge Analytica was a privately held data mining and data analysis company with financial backing from the Mercers.[4] The Mercers invested in the company after Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election.[6] On May 1, 2018, Cambridge Analytica and its parent company filed for insolvency proceedings and closed operations.[30][31]

Alexander Tayler, a former director for Cambridge Analytica, was appointed director of Emerdata on March 28, 2018.[32] Rebekah Mercer, Jennifer Mercer, Alexander Nix and Johnson Chun Shun Ko who has links to Erik Prince are in leadership positions at Emerdata.[33][34]

RAM Veterans Foundation

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In May 2022, Mercer was credited with creating RAM Veterans Foundation, named in honor of Robert Alexander Mercer who died in France during World War II. RAM Veterans Foundation is an organization that reviews and recommends veterans charities to donors at CharitiesForVets.com. [35]

Parler

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Further information: Parler

In 2018, Mercer co-founded, and funded, the social media website Parler with John Matze Jr. and Jared Thomson. Mercer described herself in a Parler post as having "started Parler" with Matze.[36][10][11] The Parler board, allegedly controlled by Mercer, fired Parler CEO John Matze on January 29, 2021.[37]

As of early February 2021, Mercer holds the majority shares and, The Washington Post reported "increasingly pulls the strings" at Parler, controlling two-thirds of its board, and appointing other directors.[38]

American Museum of Natural History

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Further information: American Museum of Natural History

Tax records indicate that the Mercer family donated millions of dollars to organizations that reject the scientific consensus regarding climate change.[39]

The Mercer family has contributed $4 million to the American Museum of Natural History, and Rebekah Mercer sat on the museum board of directors from 2013 to 2019.

In 2016, over 250 scientists penned an open letter calling for the museum to "end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation, and to have Rebekah Mercer leave the American Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees."[40]

In January 2018, a protest by the group Revolting Lesbians called for Mercer's removal from the board.[41] The protest followed the release of a letter from over 200 academics and scientists calling for the board to "end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation."[39]

In March 2018, a group called the "Clean Money Project" mounted a spoof campaign aimed at highlighting Mercer's positions on climate change and pressuring the museum to sever ties with her.[42]

By the end of 2019, Mercer was no longer on the board.[43]

Personal life

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As a student at Stanford University, Mercer met Sylvain Mirochnikoff, a native of France. The couple married in 2003.[16] Mercer left her trading job to home school her four children.[15][8] As of 2016, Mirochnikoff was a managing director at Morgan Stanley.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "EMERDATA LIMITED – Officers (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Archived from the original on April 11, 2019. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Swenson, Kyle (January 5, 2018). "Rebekah Mercer, the billionaire backer of Bannon and Trump, chooses sides". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Helderman, Rosalind S. Post Politics: Mercer issues rare public rebuke of former ally Bannon. Archived January 7, 2018, at the Wayback Machine Washington Post, January 4, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Gray, Rosie. "What Does the Billionaire Family Backing Donald Trump Really Want?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Who are mega-donors Bob and Rebekah Mercer, and why are they influential?". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gold, Matea (September 14, 2014). "The rise of GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Storey, Kate. How Secretive Manhattan Heiress Rebekah Mercer Became One of the Most Powerful Women in Politics Archived September 19, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Town&Country March 17, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d e Mider, Zachary (November 11, 2016). "Rebekah Mercer, Daughter of Major Donor, Named to Trump Role". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  9. ^ a b c "Billionaire Investor Robert Mercer To Step Down From Firm, Selling Stake in Breitbart". NPR. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Benveniste, Alexis; Yurieff, Kaya (November 15, 2020). "Meet Rebekah Mercer, the deep-pocketed co-founder of Parler, a controversial conservative social network". CNN. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  11. ^ a b Lyons, Kim (November 14, 2020). "Social app Parler apparently receives funding from the conservative Mercer family". The Verge. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  12. ^ Stein, Jeff (November 11, 2016). "Donald Trump's transition team includes 3 Trump kids and 5 millionaires". Vox. Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  13. ^ a b Swenson, Kyle (January 5, 2018). "Rebekah Mercer, the billionaire backer of Bannon and Trump, chooses sides". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  14. ^ "NYC Cookie Company Ruby Et Violette Just Became A Political Hotcake". Food Republic. February 16, 2017. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Zuckerman, Gregory, Keach Hagey, Scott Patterson and Rebecca Ballhaus, "Meet the Mercers: A Quiet Tycoon and His Daughter Become Power Brokers in Trump’s Washington" (subscription) Archived March 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Wall Street Journal, January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  16. ^ a b Chung, Juliet (April 27, 2010). "Mega Merger: Six Apartments May Make One". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  17. ^ a b Vogel, Kenneth P.; Ben Schreckinger (September 7, 2016). "The most powerful woman in GOP politics". Politico. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Exclusive: Anti-Clinton PAC Adding TV Commercials". Time. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  19. ^ "Make America Number 1 - FactCheck.org". FactCheck.org. November 3, 2016. Archived from the original on May 1, 2017. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  20. ^ Dana Bash and Marshall Cohen (October 27, 2017). "GOP megadonor requested Trump's data firm organize hacked Clinton emails". CNN. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017.
  21. ^ Chia, Jessica (October 28, 2017). "Trump donor asked data firm if it could index WikiLeaks emails". Daily News. New York. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017.
  22. ^ Confessore, Nicholas (October 25, 2017). "Assange Says WikiLeaks Rejected Request by Data Firm Tied to Trump". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017.
  23. ^ The reclusive hedge-fund tycoon behind the Trump presidency Archived September 25, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, The New Yorker, Jane Mayer, March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  24. ^ "Transcript: Donald Trump's Taped Comments About Women". New York Times. October 8, 2016. Archived from the original on September 19, 2019.
  25. ^ "The billionaire donors standing behind Donald Trump after the tape". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 5, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  26. ^ "President-Elect Donald J. Trump Announces New Vice Chairs and Executive Committee Members Serving on Presidential Transition Team". November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on April 6, 2017.
  27. ^ Vogel, Kenneth P. (November 21, 2016). "The heiress quietly shaping Trump's operation". Politico. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017.
  28. ^ Correll, Diana Stancy. "Top Trump donor Rebekah Mercer cuts off Steve Bannon". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  29. ^ a b Dawsey, Josh; Parker, Ashley (January 4, 2018). "Trump lawyer seeks to block insider book on White House". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
  30. ^ Lumb, David (May 2, 2018). "Cambridge Analytica is shutting down following Facebook scandal". Engadget. Archived from the original on May 5, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  31. ^ "Cambridge Analytica and Scl Elections Commence Insolvency Proceedings and Release Results of Independent Investigation into Recent Allegations". CA Commercial. Cambridge Analytica. May 2, 2018. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  32. ^ Nichols, Shaun (May 2, 2018). "Cambridge Analytica dismantled for good? Nope: It just changed its name to Emerdata". The Register. Archived from the original on May 2, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  33. ^ Ghosh, Shona (March 21, 2018). "The power players behind Cambridge Analytica have set up a mysterious new data company". Business Insider Australia. Archived from the original on March 21, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  34. ^ "SCL GROUP LIMITED – Officers (free information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Archived from the original on April 25, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  35. ^ Brest, Mike (May 19, 2022). "New group looks to help veterans by finding reliable charities to support". Washington Examiner. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  36. ^ Alexis Benveniste (November 15, 2020). "Meet Rebekah Mercer, the deep-pocketed co-founder of Parler, a controversial conservative social network". CNN. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  37. ^ Paul, Elizabeth Culliford, Katie (February 4, 2021). "Parler CEO John Matze says he was fired by board". Reuters. Retrieved February 4, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ "Major Trump backer Rebekah Mercer orchestrates Parler’s second act" Rachel Lerman, The Washington Post, February 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  39. ^ a b Pogrebin, Robin; Sengupta, Somini (2018). "A Science Denier at the Natural History Museum? Scientists Rebel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  40. ^ "Open Letter from Scientists to the American Museum of Natural History". January 26, 2018. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
  41. ^ Kaufman, Alexander C. (January 26, 2018). "Scientists Tell NYC's Natural History Museum To Boot Billionaire Trump Backer From Board". Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2018 – via Huff Post.
  42. ^ Kaufman, Alexander C. (March 7, 2018). "Gift Shop Stunt Ups Pressure On Natural History Museum To Jettison Trump Megadonor". Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2018 – via Huff Post.
  43. ^ "Rebekah Mercer, Billionaire Donor to Anti-Climate Science Causes, Is Off the American Museum of Natural History Board". artnet News. February 24, 2020. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
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