There is nothing new about Rebekah Mercer’s support of far-right hate, yet Americans seem shocked by it.
In April I discussed the funding behind many of the hate groups that organized and participated in anti-lockdown protests around the country. It came as no surprise to learn that the Mercer family played a large role in financing the groups that coordinated the events. The Mercers have a years-long history of financing far-right groups and media outlets because their family largely believes in the hateful ideologies of many of the hate groups in America.
“Robert Mercer invested heavily in Breitbart — the platform for the alt-right according to Steve Bannon. He and his daughter, Rebekah, are known to have used the outlet to push their own views and interests alongside those of bigoted and racist writers such as Milo Yiannapolous and so many others. Mercer also invested in Yiannapolous’ failed media venture “MILO” after he was expelled from Breitbart for defending pedophilia in an interview.”
from my article, The Hate Behind Anti-Lockdown Protests, published on April 23, 2020
You may not have seen it after my article was largely plagiarized by an editor for a larger publication which has since been heavily edited. As my article was mimicked, the person behind it initially left out the Mercer family’s involvement in the protests and their funding of hate groups. After his article published — a day after mine — my article was buried on the platform while still garnering the attention of Breitbart trolls.
Having my work stolen and/or mimicked is nothing new. So-called journalists at the Associated Press have done it (among others). While people tend to say that imitation is a compliment and should be the greatest form of flattery, the fact that my income is dependent on my work leaves me frustrated and angry. Even worse, their leaving out key details involving people like the Mercers is disgusting and offensive.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”
Oscar Wilde
While my work gets buried by articles written by mediocre people who like to use me as their own personal writing prompt, they leave out key details that are of the utmost importance. Now that big media is reporting on the Mercer family’s involvement in funding hate groups and platforms that promote bigotry and hate, America is finally paying attention to the warnings I published months ago.
(Yes, I expect backlash for this article and I’m here for it)
It is what it is. I’m tired of being tossed aside by middling writers on bigger platforms who steal the work of Latino and Black writers. While having my work pilfered from me is frustrating, I’m left to wonder why key details about the largest funders of hate groups were initially left out. Was it purposely done? Were they added only after I called it/him out? It would appear so as people with much more power than I continue to drown my work out.
But enough about me let’s talk about the Mercers among others.
Funding Hate
Robert Mercer has a history of harboring hateful beliefs so it comes as no surprise that his children would share those ideals. But they aren’t alone. Sheldon Adelson, the Las Vegas Casino mogul, has a history of donating millions to anti-Mulsim groups through private funds and foundations. Along with far-right groups, Adelson is ideologically aligned and involved with vast networks of Islamophobic groups that promote Islamophobic policies in various aspects of American society. It should come as no surprise that he has direct contact with Donald Trump.
“Mercer himself has his own personal issues with race. David Magerman, who worked at Renaissance Technologies (RenTech) for 20 years, filed a lawsuit alleging Mercer harbors bigoted views. Mercer made his fortune as the CEO of RenTech, a hedge fund that uses algorithms to make investment decisions.”
from my article, The Hate Behind Anti-Lockdown Protests, published on April 23, 2020
Sears heiress Nina Rosenwald uses her tax-exempt Abstraction Fund to funnel millions to anti-Muslim groups as well. Rosenwald also founded The Gatestone Institute which peddles conspiracy theories and regularly publishes fake news. Gatestone once had Trump acolyte John Bolton as its chairman. Bolton is known for pushing military interventionism in Latin America for the benefit of U.S. corporate interests. It’s no coincidence that the coup in Bolivia that ousted Evo Morales occurred as Bolton was part of the Trump administration.
In March 2019, Newsweek published an article discussing the National Christian Foundation (NCF), the nation’s largest Christian charity, funneling over $56 million to hate groups using dark money through Donor-Advised Funds (DAF). DAFs allow individuals to send tax-deductible donations to hate groups while remaining anonymous. By donating to NCF, these donors have funneled money to 23 groups that have been labeled as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).
According to Newsweek, the NCF says they have received over $12 billion in contributions that resulted in over $10 billion in grants being sent to 55,000 so-called charities recommended by their donors. The idea that the nation’s wealthiest people are donating and funding hate should alarm every American. As big media shines a light on Rebekah Mercer’s funding of the far-right social media platform Parler, where threats against the lives of many Americans are being made, it is my hope that the exposure of these billionaires and the bigotry they stand for continues to be revealed.
“Many hate groups also receive donations via DAF funds that pass-through companies such as Fidelity, Schwab, Vanguard, and Donors Trust through anonymous charitable gift funds.”
From my article, The Hate Behind Anti-Lockdown Protests, published on April 23, 2020
And let’s not forget about one of Trump’s personal lawyers, Jay Sekulow who is the founder of Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism (CASE) who donated $32 million to the American Center for Law and Justice, another group founded by Sekulow and televangelist Pat Robertson. That group provided legal support for Trump’s 2017 Muslim ban.
America on The Brink
The amount of money and the level of influence these people have on American society is beyond appalling and should be exposed. They represent the largest drivers of hate and conspiracy theories in the nation. Groups such as the Proud Boys and their founder Gavin McInnes enjoy the quiet funneling of millions of dollars in support of ideas like civil war, racial animosity, xenophobia towards migrants of color, Islamophobia, and hate towards the LGBT community.
Where we are today in America is directly related to the millions upon millions of dollars being passed through to hate groups and the platforms that promote them. The racial and political divide, attacks on people of color by hate groups, and the hateful rhetoric we constantly see on social media are all part of a propaganda machine created and financed by some of the wealthiest people in America. They sow chaos and confusion and it’s all done to benefit them.
The Mercer family funding Breitbart and Rebekah Mercer funding Parler are the tip of the iceberg. If you’re outraged by the recent news in mainstream media about Rebekah Mercer, you should be equally outraged by Koch Industries funding Americans for Prosperity, the DeVos family funding the Michigan Freedom Fund — which was responsible for Operation Gridlock, a massive anti-lockdown protest that inevitably canvassed the entire nation — and every other funder mentioned here (among so many others).
The networks behind driving America to the brink of war with itself are vast and have been in place for decades. None of this is new and the time for complacency and ignorance is over. It’s past time to bring attention to every one of these hatemongers, their money, and how it’s used to finance hate. The best weapon we have at this point in time is awareness and education. I implore everyone reading this to take the time to research how bigotry operates in the U.S.
No longer are we the nation of the Ku Klux Klan. We are now at the phase where racists no longer hide. They have no fear of exposure because their hate is profitable. Exposing hate groups and those that finance them is just the first step in addressing the problem of mainstream hate and the proliferation of widespread bigotry.
To save America from the throes of social civil war, we must all be aware and take appropriate action to stop the funding of hate. It will take the election of representatives that are not just aware of the problem but who also harbor the willingness to act and silence the power of some of the wealthiest people on the planet. Their goals are clear and they revolve around white supremacy and colonialism weaponizing hate to maintain their grip on society.
One last thing. If you are a writer trying to make a name for yourself by stealing the hard work of people like me, know this: I am not the one. I will come for you and put you on blast.
Got it? I sure hope so.
Good work