Mercer family
Family of the Renaissance Technologies co-chief executive Robert Mercer and his daughters, whose private foundation, super PAC contributions and company investments reached conservative organizations, Cambridge Analytica, Parler and 1789 Capital.
The Mercer family is the family of Robert Mercer, who was a co-chief executive of the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies until he announced in November 2017 that he would step down, and his daughters Rebekah Mercer and Jennifer Mercer; a Heather Mercer appears with them as a director of the family's private foundation and as a beneficiary of a trust holding shares in Emerdata.12 The family's records include a private foundation, a series of federal super PAC and party contributions, an investment in the data company Cambridge Analytica, a role in the social network Parler, and a private equity vehicle, 1789 Capital, of which Rebekah Mercer is a managing member of the general partner.23456
Renaissance Technologies and the basket options hearing
On July 22, 2014 the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the United States Senate held a hearing, "Abuse of Structured Financial Products: Misusing Basket Options to Avoid Taxes and Leverage Limits," chaired by Carl Levin. In his opening statement Levin said that Renaissance's Medallion fund had used basket options to produce profits from 1999 to 2013 totaling more than $30 billion and that Deutsche Bank and Barclays had earned about $570 million and $655 million in revenue from the structures. The tax expert Steven Rosenthal testified that the structures reduced taxes paid to the Treasury by approximately $6.8 billion by converting short-term trading profits taxed at 35 percent into long-term gains taxed at 15 percent.7 The Renaissance witness was Peter Brown, identified in the hearing record as co-chief executive officer and co-president of Renaissance Technologies. The name Mercer does not appear in the text of the printed hearing record, which lists among the exhibits an October 1, 2004 indemnity agreement among Barclays and the Medallion entities including Medallion Capital Investments Ltd.7
Federal Election Commission contribution records from the 2010 through 2022 cycles give Robert Mercer's employer as Renaissance Technologies and his occupation in some entries as "co-CEO" and in others as "CEO."8 The Form 990-PF of the Mercer Family Foundation for the period beginning June 18, 2004 lists an investment in "Medallion Capital Investments" with a book value of $550,358; the return for 2010 lists "Medallion investments" valued at $8,456,921 at the start of the year and $23,361,133 at its end.9
On November 2, 2017 Robert Mercer wrote to Renaissance investors that he was stepping down as co-chief executive and selling his stake in Breitbart News to his daughters; in the same letter he wrote that he had been mistaken to support Milo Yiannopoulos. National Public Radio wrote that the Mercers reportedly introduced Donald Trump to Steve Bannon and to Kellyanne Conway and "also own part of Cambridge Analytica."10
In September 2021 the Associated Press reported, citing reports by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, that Renaissance insiders including its founder James Simons and Robert Mercer had agreed to pay as much as $7 billion to settle a dispute with the Internal Revenue Service covering transactions between 2005 and 2015.11
Mercer Family Foundation
The Mercer Family Foundation (EIN 20-1982204) is a private foundation with a recognition date of June 2005 whose recent returns carry the care-of address of the accounting firm BerryDunn in Waltham, Massachusetts. Its Form 990-PF for 2004 covers a tax year that began on June 18, 2004; the foundation's disbursements for charitable purposes were $69,000 in 2005, $292,000 in 2007, $1,565,000 in 2008, $1,770,000 in 2009 and $4,039,000 in 2010.912 The returns for 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 list Rebekah Mercer as the only director; the return for 2023 lists Rebekah, Robert, Jennifer and Heather Mercer, each at one hour a week, and gives Rebekah Mercer as the person in whose care the books are kept.213
The foundation's grants paid, as reported to the Internal Revenue Service, were $7,105,215 in 2011, $11,677,197 in 2012, $13,492,358 in 2013, $18,300,979 in 2014 and $24,544,570 in 2015, and its total assets at the end of the year fell from $37,887,151 in 2011 to $22,729,081 in 2015.12 The return for 2016 reports grants of $19,025,582.14
The itemized recipients in the returns for 2011 to 2017 include the Government Accountability Institute ($1,000,000 in 2013 and 2014, $1,735,000 in 2015, $2,000,000 in 2016 and $1,725,000 in 2017, a total of $7,460,000); the Media Research Center ($1,800,000, $3,000,000, $2,972,420, $3,000,000, $3,000,000, $2,000,000 and $2,000,000 in 2011 through 2017, a total of $17,772,420); the Heartland Institute ($444,000, $912,000, $877,000, $885,000, $100,000, $800,000 and $800,000 in 2011 through 2017, a total of $4,818,000, after a grant of $100,000 in 2010); the Federalist Society ($1,600,000 in 2013, $2,050,000 in 2014, $2,300,000 in 2015 and $500,000 in 2017); the Citizens United Foundation ($2,000,000, $1,000,000, $550,000 and $250,000 in 2012 through 2015); the Heritage Foundation ($500,000 in each of 2013 through 2016); and Reclaim New York ($75,000 in 2014, $1,250,000 in 2015, $1,600,000 in 2016 and $1,760,000 in 2017).14 The return for 2016 also lists $500,000 to the Cleveland 2016 Host Committee and $500,000 to the Rev the Vote Foundation, and the return for 2017 lists $500,000 to the Susan B. Anthony List Education Fund.14 The itemized grant lists in the returns for 2011 through 2017 and 2019 through 2024 contain no grant to Breitbart News, Parler or Cambridge Analytica.1415
From 2016 the lists change in form. DonorsTrust received $2,250,000 in 2016 and $500,000 in 2017, and the returns for 2019 to 2024 list DonorsTrust as the principal recipient: $1,400,000 in 2019, $19,250,000 in 2020, $5,800,000 in 2021, $31,000,000 in 2022, $3,500,000 in 2023 and $3,750,000 in 2024, which with the amounts for 2016 and 2017 total $67,450,000 (the return for 2018 is not included in these totals).1415 The only other recipients in the returns for 2019 to 2024 are the American Association for Aerosol Research ($9,000 in each of 2019 to 2021), the Marine Corps University Foundation ($20,000 in 2019), the Hospital for Special Surgery ($6,772,269 in 2020), the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America and the Explorer's Club ($100,000 each in 2021), the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine ($250,000 in 2021) and Ohio State University ($149,778 in 2022).15 The Oregon Institute's address on the return for 2021, 2251 Dick George Road, Cave Junction, Oregon, is also the registered address of the committee Art Robinson for Congress, which paid Cambridge Analytica $20,000 in 2014.1516 The foundation's return for 2011 lists a grant of $965,000 to an organization at Cave Junction, Oregon.14 The return for 2014 lists $100,000 to the Job Creators Alliance of Addison, Texas.17
A letter dated May 5, 2014 on the stationery of the Mercer Family Foundation, 240 Riverside Boulevard, New York, addressed to Mary Ann Coleman of Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, asks that $100,000 be wired from the foundation to the account of Job Creators Network Foundation; a callback verification block on the page names Rebekah Mercer. The document is in the Department of Justice Epstein Library data set 10 among Deutsche Bank trust department records that also include client lists naming a Mercer family trust, and the page itself contains no reference to Jeffrey Epstein.18
Government Accountability Institute
The Government Accountability Institute (EIN 45-4681912), a Tallahassee, Florida charity with a recognition date of January 1, 2013, states its mission as "to investigate and expose crony capitalism, misuse of taxpayer monies, and other governmental corruption or malfeasance."19 Its Form 990 for 2012 lists Bannon as chairman (30 hours a week, compensation $80,769), Peter Schweizer as president and secretary-treasurer, and Rebekah Mercer as a director at one hour a week, with Hunter Lewis, Owen Smith and Ronald Robinson as the other directors, and Wynton C. Hall as communications strategist. Schedule O to that return states that "Stephen Bannon, Chairman, and Rebekah Mercer, Board Director, have a business relationship."19
Schedule L to the returns for 2013, 2014 and 2015 reports purchases of advertising on the website of Breitbart News Network, LLC, with the explanation that "Stephen Bannon is chairman of the board" of that company, in the amounts of $102,500, $7,500 and $98,000; the return for 2015 adds that a committee of disinterested board members reviewed the proposed purchase and collected comparison data from other online advertising venues.20 Bannon's reportable compensation from the institute was $100,000 for 2013, $100,733 for 2014 and $96,703 for 2015.20 The return for 2016 lists Rebekah Mercer as "Chairman of the Board" at 30 hours a week without compensation, Bannon as a board director at one hour a week with compensation of $61,539, Schweizer at $210,000 and Hall as a key employee at $175,000; the returns for 2017, 2020 and 2022 also list her as chairman.21
The institute's total contributions were $2,200,000 in 2012, $2,602,500 in 2013, $1,701,000 in 2014, $2,587,000 in 2015, $2,601,000 in 2016 and $2,435,250 in 2017; for 2013 through 2017 the foundation's itemized grants to the institute were $7,460,000 of $11,926,750 in contributions.1422
Federal contributions
The OpenFEC database attributes to Robert Mercer of East Setauket, New York, individual contributions of $88,500 in the 2008 cycle, $764,426 in 2010, $5,712,860 in 2012, $8,749,000 in 2014, $23,421,700 in 2016, $5,275,000 in 2018, $1,865,200 in 2020, $600,000 in 2022, $849,399 in 2024 and $100,000 in the 2026 cycle to date, and to Rebekah Mercer of New York $1,015,050 across the 2010 to 2024 cycles, in itemized receipts of $200 or more excluding memo entries.8 The largest single recipient in the database is Make America Number 1 ($15,500,000); the others over $1,000,000 are the John Bolton Super PAC ($5,000,000), Freedom Partners Action Fund ($2,500,000), American Crossroads ($2,000,000), Club for Growth Action ($2,000,000), the Congressional Leadership Fund ($1,900,000), Ending Spending Action Fund ($1,750,000), KelliPAC ($1,500,000), the Republican National Committee ($1,154,900 from 2008 to November 2025), Restore Our Future ($1,000,000) and Remember Mississippi ($1,000,000).8 The database also records $814,399 from Robert Mercer to Trump 47 Committee, Inc. on March 25, 2024, $449,400 from Rebekah Mercer to Trump Victory on June 13, 2016, and $355,200 from Robert Mercer to Trump Victory on February 14, 2020.8
Other itemized contributions by Robert Mercer in the database include $643,750 to Concerned Taxpayers of America between September 13 and December 16, 2010; $920,000 to Prosperity First Inc. in three payments from April 1 to October 22, 2012; $500,000 to Women Speak Out PAC on August 28, 2014; $500,000 each to New York Wins PAC (January 29, 2016) and Fighting for Ohio Fund (May 16, 2016); $1,500,000 to KelliPAC in four payments from July 22, 2016 to June 29, 2018; $637,100 to Black Americans for a Better Future in ten payments from September 18, 2015 to May 7, 2024; $400,000 to Great America PAC on October 25, 2018; $100,000 to Protect Ohio Values PAC on March 12, 2021, five days before a $50,000 contribution to the same committee by Rebekah Mercer; and $500,000 to General John Stark PAC on June 6, 2022.23 The database lists Rebekah Mercer's largest recipients as Trump Victory ($449,400), The Founders Committee ($67,700 in two committee records), Romney Victory Inc. ($65,800), Coalition for American Values PAC ($50,000) and Protect Ohio Values PAC ($50,000).23
The committee now named Make America Number 1 (C00575373) filed its original statement of organization on April 6, 2015 under a cover letter headed "Keep The Promise I," signed by the treasurer, Jacquelyn James, with the address 2 Roosevelt Avenue, Port Jefferson Station, New York; the amended statement signed on June 22, 2016 gives the name Make America Number 1.24 The paid-preparer block of the Mercer Family Foundation's returns for 2013 through 2017 names Jacquelyn James Varga of Golub LaCapra Wilson & DeTiberiis LLP, 2 Roosevelt Avenue, Port Jefferson Station, the same street address, and the returns for 2011 and 2012 name Brian Golub of the same firm; the return for 2019 names Louis M. Cohen of Caler Donten Levine of West Palm Beach, Florida, and the returns for 2020 through 2024 name Barbara J. McGuan of Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker LLC of Portland, Maine.25 The committee received $11,000,000 from Robert Mercer on April 10, 2015, $500,000 on February 26, 2016, and $2,000,000 on each of March 17 and July 14, 2016; other receipts of $1,000,000 or more were $2,000,000 from Bernard Marcus (September 6, 2016), $1,000,000 from Peter Thiel (October 26, 2016) and $1,000,000 from Cherna Moskowitz (August 23, 2016).3 In the 2016 cycle it reported receipts of $20,737,585, disbursements of $19,659,532 and independent expenditures of $13,432,443.3 Its disbursements include $1,476,484 to Cambridge Analytica, $952,015 to The Polling Company, $950,000 to Trusted Leadership PAC, $538,446 to Greenberg Traurig, $500,000 to Carly for America, $336,495 to Bracewell & Giuliani, $280,641 to Glittering Steel LLC for video production, $119,341 to Breitbart News Network LLC and $115,262 to The Aventine Group.3 On December 23, 2022 it recorded a contribution refund of $620,000 to Robert Mercer.3
The John Bolton Super PAC received ten contributions of $500,000 from Robert Mercer, dated April 28 and June 30, 2014; February 24, June 30, September 28 and December 18, 2015; July 5 and September 6, 2016; and October 23 and December 28, 2017, and paid Cambridge Analytica $1,152,300 between July 7, 2014 and September 29, 2016.26
Cambridge Analytica and Emerdata
According to Christopher Wylie, Robert Mercer invested $15 million in Cambridge Analytica for 90 percent of the company and served as its president, with Jennifer Mercer as treasurer; the company's statement of financial affairs lists Rebekah Mercer as a member of the board of managers and vice president and Jennifer Mercer as a member of the board of managers from March 6, 2014 through January 23, 2018.4 Brittany Kaiser told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that almost every client meeting with a political figure was preceded by an introduction from Bannon, Rebekah Mercer or Conway, and Jared Kushner told the committee that the Mercers aggressively advocated the campaign's use of the company.27
Rebekah and Jennifer Mercer became directors of Emerdata Limited on March 16, 2018 and are recorded as active directors on the Companies House register of October 1, 2026; the company has been in administration since December 9, 2024.28 Jennifer Mercer was appointed on March 12, 2021 a director of Dynamo Recoveries Limited, a non-trading company incorporated on March 4, 2021 with Terence William Donal Blaney as its first person with significant control; since March 12, 2021 Rebekah Mercer has been recorded as its only person with significant control, holding 75 percent or more of the shares and votes. Jacquelyn James-Varga, who is also a director of Emerdata, is a director of the company.29 Companies House gives the correspondence address of the Mercers, James-Varga and Dynamo Recoveries as 60 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, England.2829
Parler and 1789 Capital
In November 2020 Newsweek reported, citing people familiar with the matter who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, that the Mercers had ties to Parler; Newsweek wrote that the chief executive John Matze had confirmed Rebekah Mercer as a lead investor in the early stages of the company and that her funding was conditional on the application relinquishing control over what users can see, and that she had written on the platform that she launched Parler with Matze to "provide a neutral platform for free speech, as our founders intended."30 A Form D filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2022 by Parler Inc., a Delaware corporation at 901 Woodland Street, Nashville, lists Rebekah Mercer as an executive officer, director and promoter alongside the chief executive George Farmer; it reports a first sale of equity on December 15, 2021, $20,250,000 offered and sold to 10 investors at a minimum of $50,000, and finders' fees of $500,000, with William C.T. Gaynor II of Washington as the sales compensation recipient.5
A Form D filed on February 9, 2023 by 1789 Capital Fund I, LP of Palm Beach, Florida lists Omeed Malik, Rebekah Mercer and Christopher Buskirk each as executive officer, director, promoter and managing member of the general partner, with a first sale on January 31, 2023, $100,000,000 offered and $10,000,000 sold to one investor at a minimum of $1,000,000.6 Two further Forms D filed on June 10, 2024 by 1789 Capital Co-Invest I, LP and 1789 Capital BH, LP list her as manager of the general partner; the first reports $2,162,000 sold to seven investors and the second $9,700,000 of a $10,000,000 offering sold to 28 investors.31
Relationships 19
- Breitbart News10
- Cambridge Analytica4
- Dynamo Recoveries Limited29
- Omeed Malik6
Sources
- House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Disinformation and "fake news": Final Report, HC 1791, February 18, 2019, paragraph 286 and note 327 (describing "Jennifer and Rebekah Mercer (daughters of financier Robert Mercer)" as directors of Emerdata and listing trusts for the benefit of Rebekah, Jennifer and Heather Mercer among its shareholders as of August 10, 2018). https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmcumeds/1791/1791.pdf ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation (EIN 20-1982204), Form 990-PF for 2023, Part VII (officers: Rebekah, Robert, Jennifer and Heather Mercer, directors, 1.00 hour a week each), Part VIII line 1 ("books are in care of Rebekah Mercer") and Part XV (DonorsTrust, $3,500,000), ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer full text. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202423199349104317/IRS990PF ↩
- OpenFEC API, Schedule A receipts and Schedule B disbursements of Make America Number 1 (C00575373): Robert Mercer, $11,000,000 on April 10, 2015 (file 1027937), $500,000 on February 26, 2016, $2,000,000 on March 17, 2016 and $2,000,000 on July 14, 2016; Bernard Marcus $2,000,000 (September 6, 2016); Peter Thiel $1,000,000 (October 26, 2016); Cherna Moskowitz $1,000,000 (August 23, 2016); committee totals for the 2016 cycle (receipts $20,737,584.81, disbursements $19,659,532.23, independent expenditures $13,432,442.89); disbursements to Cambridge Analytica, The Polling Company ($952,015), Trusted Leadership PAC ($950,000), Greenberg Traurig and Greenberg & Traurig ($538,446 and $41,972), Carly for America ($500,000), Bracewell & Giuliani ($336,495), Glittering Steel LLC (seven payments from July 17, 2015 to November 1, 2016, $280,641), Breitbart News Network LLC ($109,341.25 on November 25, 2015 and $10,000 on January 27, 2016) and The Aventine Group ($55,625 and $59,637); and a contribution refund to Robert Mercer of $620,000 dated December 23, 2022 (file 1681564, https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202301299575139049). https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/committee/C00575373/ ↩
- U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election, Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities, report released August 18, 2020, pp. 664 to 667 and note 4303 (proffer of Christopher Wylie, May 17, 2018; Statement of Financial Affairs of May 31, 2018 in In re Cambridge Analytica LLC, Case No. 18-11500-shl (Bankr. S.D.N.Y.)). https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf ↩
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Form D, Parler Inc. (CIK 0001902750), accession no. 0001902750-22-000002, filed January 6, 2022: related persons George Farmer (executive officer, director), Rebekah Mercer (executive officer, director, promoter) and others; exemption Rule 506(b); date of first sale December 15, 2021; total offering amount and amount sold $20,250,000; 10 investors; minimum investment $50,000; finders' fees $500,000; sales compensation recipient William C.T. Gaynor II. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1902750/000190275022000002/primary_doc.xml ↩
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Form D, 1789 Capital Fund I, LP (CIK 0001965234), accession no. 0001965234-23-000001, filed February 9, 2023: related persons Omeed Malik, Rebekah Mercer and Christopher Buskirk, each executive officer, director, promoter and managing member of the general partner; date of first sale January 31, 2023; total offering amount $100,000,000; amount sold $10,000,000; one investor; minimum investment $1,000,000. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1965234/000196523423000001/primary_doc.xml ↩
- U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, hearing of July 22, 2014, Abuse of Structured Financial Products: Misusing Basket Options to Avoid Taxes and Leverage Limits, S. Hrg. 113-422: opening statement of Chairman Carl Levin; testimony of Steven M. Rosenthal; testimony of Peter Brown, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Co-President of Renaissance Technologies; index of exhibits, item 43 (Indemnity Agreement dated October 1, 2004, Barclays Bank PLC, Palomino Limited, Badger Holdings L.P., Medallion International Limited, Medallion Capital Investments Ltd., Medallion Associates L.P., Medallion Fund L.P., Medallion USA L.P. and Medallion RMP Fund L.P., BARCLAYS-PSI-632877-904). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-113shrg89882/pdf/CHRG-113shrg89882.pdf ↩
- OpenFEC API, Schedule A itemized individual contributions of $200 or more, excluding memo entries, for contributor names "MERCER, ROBERT" (including "ROBERT L"), "MERCER, REBEKAH" and "MERCER, JENNIFER" with New York addresses (Robert Mercer: East Setauket, Stony Brook, St. James or New York, employer Renaissance Technologies, occupations including "financial consultant" and "CO-CEO"), two-year transaction periods 2008 to 2026, retrieved October 1, 2026; recipient committees including Make America Number 1 (C00575373), John Bolton Super PAC (C00542464), Freedom Partners Action Fund (C00564765), American Crossroads (C00487363), Club for Growth Action (C00487470), Congressional Leadership Fund (C00504530), Ending Spending Action Fund (C00489856), KelliPAC (C00572941), Republican National Committee (C00003418), Restore Our Future (C00490045), Remember Mississippi (C00641423), Trump 47 Committee, Inc. (C00867937; $814,399 on March 25, 2024, file 1857498, https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?202412059731342737) and Trump Victory (C00618389; Rebekah Mercer $449,400 on June 13, 2016, file 1087212; Robert Mercer $355,200 on February 14, 2020, file 1413489). https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/ ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation, Form 990-PF for the tax year beginning June 18, 2004 (Part II, line 10b, "Medallion Capital Investments," book value $550,358), https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_200412_990PF.pdf; Form 990-PF for 2010 (schedule of investments, "Medallion Investments," $8,456,921 beginning of year and $23,361,133 end of year), https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201012_990PF.pdf ↩
- Jim Zarroli, "Billionaire Investor Robert Mercer To Step Down From Firm, Selling Stake In Breitbart," National Public Radio, November 2, 2017 (as published by KPBS). https://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/nov/02/billionaire-investor-robert-mercer-steps-down ↩
- "Renaissance hedge fund execs to pay $7 billion in settlement with IRS, reports say," Associated Press, as published by CBS News, September 2021 (reporting the accounts of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times; settlement "as much as $7 billion"; transactions between 2005 and 2015). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robert-mercer-irs-tax-settlement-7-billion/ ↩
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, organization record for Mercer Family Foundation (EIN 20-1982204): recognition date June 2005; address care of BerryDunn, 51 Sawyer Road, Waltham, Massachusetts; grants paid and total assets at end of year by tax year, 2011 to 2023 (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api/v2/organizations/201982204.json); Forms 990-PF for 2005 (line 25, $69,000), 2007 ($292,000), 2008 ($1,565,000), 2009 ($1,770,000) and 2010 ($4,039,000), https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_200512_990PF.pdf and the corresponding archive files for 2007 to 2010. ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation, Forms 990-PF for 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, Part VIII (officers, directors, trustees), e.g. https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201612_990PF.pdf ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation, Forms 990-PF for 2011 to 2017, Part XV line 3a (grants and contributions paid during the year), recipient lists as printed; amounts totaled by recipient from the itemized lists, e.g. 2013 (https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201312_990PF.pdf), 2015 (https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201512_990PF.pdf) and 2016 (https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201612_990PF.pdf, which reports total grants of $19,025,582, the grant to OISM of Cave Junction, Oregon, and the accounting firm address 2 Roosevelt Ave, Port Jefferson Station, New York). ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation, Forms 990-PF for 2019 to 2024, Part XV (grants and contributions paid), ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer full text: 2019 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202012559349100501/IRS990PF; 2020 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202212639349100101/IRS990PF; 2021 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202213199349104431/IRS990PF; 2022 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202303189349100610/IRS990PF; 2023 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202423199349104317/IRS990PF; 2024 https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202513169349100411/IRS990PF. The 2016 and 2017 DonorsTrust grants are from the Part XV lists in the returns for those years. The Part XV list for 2020 totals $26,031,269 including $6,772,269 to the Hospital for Special Surgery; the grants-paid field in the ProPublica summary for 2020 reads $19,259,000. ↩
- Federal Election Commission, committee record for ART ROBINSON FOR CONGRESS (C00481341), 2251 Dick George Rd, Cave Junction, Oregon; Schedule B disbursements to Cambridge Analytica of $20,000 in three payments, June to November 2014. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/committee/C00481341/ ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation, Form 990-PF for 2014, Part XV (Job Creators Alliance, Addison, Texas, 100,000 dollars, "non profit donation"). https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201412_990PF.pdf ↩
- U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, DataSet 10, EFTA01400922 (letter of May 5, 2014, Mercer Family Foundation to Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas; related items EFTA01398726, EFTA01398757, EFTA01398924 and EFTA01398965 not reopened). https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01400922.pdf ↩
- Government Accountability Institute (EIN 45-4681912), Form 990 for 2012, Part III (mission), Part VII Section A (officers and compensation), Schedule O; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer record (recognition date January 1, 2013). https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/454/454681912/454681912_201212_990.pdf and https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/454681912 ↩
- Government Accountability Institute, Forms 990 for 2013, 2014 and 2015, Schedule L Part IV (business transactions involving interested persons) and Part VII: https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/454/454681912/454681912_201312_990.pdf ; https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/454/454681912/454681912_201412_990.pdf ; https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990_pdf_archive/454/454681912/454681912_201512_990.pdf (amount for 2013 as read from the scanned return) ↩
- Government Accountability Institute, Forms 990 for 2016 (Part VII Section A), 2017, 2020 and 2022, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer full text: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/454681912/201743179349306999/IRS990 ; /201833199349301453/IRS990 ; /202111759349300306/IRS990 ; /202343009349300814/IRS990 ↩
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, organization record for Government Accountability Institute (EIN 45-4681912), total contributions by tax year, 2012 to 2017. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/api/v2/organizations/454681912.json ↩
- OpenFEC API, Schedule A itemized contributions attributed to Robert Mercer and Rebekah Mercer of New York, New York, excluding memo entries, retrieved October 1, 2026: Concerned Taxpayers of America (C00488437; file numbers 502614, 508878, 521433, 711830); Prosperity First Inc. (C00517466; files 795576, 815221, 837748); Women Speak Out PAC (C00530766; file 1007524); New York Wins PAC (C00603365; file 1059531); Fighting for Ohio Fund (C00573014; file 1119836); KelliPAC (C00572941; files 1096404, 1164890, 1180218, 1251801); Black Americans for a Better Future (C00567784); Great America PAC (C00608489; file 1346216); Protect Ohio Values PAC (POV PAC) (C00770495; file 1532515, Robert Mercer $100,000 on March 12, 2021 and Rebekah Mercer $50,000 on March 17, 2021); General John Stark PAC (C00815407; file 1611754). https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/schedules/schedule_a/ ↩
- Federal Election Commission, Form 1 Statement of Organization of committee C00575373, original filed April 6, 2015 under cover letter headed "Keep The Promise I" signed by treasurer Jacquelyn James, 2 Roosevelt Avenue, Port Jefferson Station, New York (https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/670/15031410670/15031410670.pdf), and amended Form 1 dated June 21, 2016, filed June 22, 2016, in the name "Make America Number 1" (https://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/183/201606229020090183/201606229020090183.pdf). ↩
- Mercer Family Foundation, Forms 990-PF, paid preparer blocks: 2011 and 2012 (Brian Golub, Golub LaCapra Wilson & DeTiberiis), 2013 to 2017 (Jacquelyn James Varga, Golub LaCapra Wilson & DeTiberiis LLP, 2 Roosevelt Ave, Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776), e.g. https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201412_990PF.pdf and https://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/201/201982204/201982204_201612_990PF.pdf; 2019 (Louis M Cohen, Caler Donten Levine et al PA), 2020 to 2024 (Barbara J McGuan CPA, Berry Dunn McNeil & Parker LLC, PO Box 1100, Portland, Maine), ProPublica full text, e.g. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/201982204/202423199349104317/IRS990PF. ↩
- OpenFEC API, Schedule A receipts of John Bolton Super PAC (C00542464) from Robert Mercer, East Setauket, New York, $500,000 each on April 28, 2014, June 30, 2014, February 24, 2015, June 30, 2015, September 28, 2015, December 18, 2015, July 5, 2016, September 6, 2016, October 23, 2017 and December 28, 2017 (e.g. https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/fecimg/?201801319091015357); Schedule B disbursements to Cambridge Analytica, July 7, 2014 to September 29, 2016, totaling $1,152,300. https://api.open.fec.gov/v1/committee/C00542464/ ↩
- U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election, Volume 5: Counterintelligence Threats and Vulnerabilities, report released August 18, 2020, p. 672 and note 4348 (Kaiser transcript, pp. 40 to 43), and p. 674 and note 4362 (Kushner transcript II, pp. 84 to 85). https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/sites/default/files/documents/report_volume5.pdf ↩
- Companies House, EMERDATA LIMITED (company number 10911848), officers and insolvency pages, and personal appointments pages for Jennifer Lynne Mercer and Rebekah Anne Mercer (each appointed March 16, 2018, active), viewed October 1, 2026; administration started December 9, 2024. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/10911848/officers ↩
- Companies House, DYNAMO RECOVERIES LIMITED (company number 13246135), incorporated March 4, 2021, SIC 74990 non-trading company, registered office Suite 21, 60 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling; persons with significant control (Terence William Donal Blaney, March 4 to March 12, 2021; Rebekah Mercer, from March 12, 2021, 75 percent or more of shares and votes); officers including Jacquelyn James-Varga and Jennifer Lynne Mercer (each appointed March 12, 2021), viewed October 1, 2026. https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13246135/persons-with-significant-control ↩
- "Parler Reportedly Backed by Mercers, Same Family That Funded Cambridge Analytica," Newsweek, November 2020 (reporting the account of the Wall Street Journal and statements of John Matze and Rebekah Mercer). https://www.newsweek.com/parler-reportedly-backed-mercers-same-family-that-funded-cambridge-analytica-1547519 ↩
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Forms D filed June 10, 2024: 1789 Capital Co-Invest I, LP (CIK 0002026273), accession no. 0002026273-24-000001 ($2,162,000 sold; seven investors) and 1789 Capital BH, LP (CIK 0002025959), accession no. 0002025959-24-000001 ($9,700,000 sold of $10,000,000; 28 investors; Rebekah Mercer listed as manager of 1789 Capital Fund I GP, LLC). https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/2026273/000202627324000001/primary_doc.xml ↩
Named without a link 5
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