Rebekah Mercer (philanthropist)

Rebekah Mercer
Born	1973/1974 (age 42–43) Yorktown Heights, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	Stanford University (BS, MS)
Political party	Republican

Rebekah "Bekah" Mercer is an American foundation director and Republican donor. She directs the Mercer Family Foundation and serves on the Executive Committee of the transition team of United States President-elect Donald Trump. Mercer is the daughter of billionaire hedge fund manager Robert Mercer. During the 2016 U.S. presidential primaries, Mercer led Keep the Promise I, a Super PAC which was the largest outside benefactor of Ted Cruz. Renamed Make America Number 1, it supported Donald Trump in the general election. She also worked with Stephen Bannon to create the film Clinton Cash. In September 2016, Politico described her "the most powerful woman in GOP politics."

Under Mercer's leadership, the family foundation increased its donations from $1.7 million in 2009 to $18.3 million in 2014, with $35 million going to conservative think tanks and policy groups in that time period.

She has worked as a Wall Street trader at Renaissance Technologies, the hedge fund her father has helped lead, and, with her sisters, owned a gourmet cookie company.

In the Trump transition, the Wall Street Journal reported that Mercer had helped in successfully lobbying against Mitt Romney as secretary of state and for Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general.Politico reported that some said she had not favored Corey Lewandowski as possible Republican National Committee chair and that Lewandowski had reportedly resisted paying for Cambridge Analytica services early in the campaign, though a close associate of Mercer's denied the stories. After the inauguration, Mercer is likely to lead an outside group, funded by her father, aimed at bolstering Mr. Trump’s agenda, Trump aide Kellyanne Conway reportedly said. Cambridge Analytica, a data firm backed by the Mercers, would likely assist the group's efforts.

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