Rebekah Mercer joins Trump transition team
Conservative donor Rebekah Mercer, pictured at the Media Research Center's 2015 annual gala at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Credit: Courtesy Media Research Center
ALBANY — Rebekah Mercer, the daughter of major political donor Robert Mercer, will join President-elect Donald Trump’s White House transition team, transition officials announced Friday.
Robert Mercer, co-CEO of the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies of East Setauket, switched his allegiance to Trump after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) quit the race in May.
In June, Mercer, his wife and daughter began to contribute to Trump’s presidential campaign. Rebekah Mercer, a former Wall Street trader, at that time contributed $449,400 to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee with the Republican National Committee.
Robert and Rebekah Mercer encouraged Trump early in the campaign to drop former campaign chairman Paul Manafort for Stephen Bannon, head of the website Breitbart News. They also argued for the appointment of veteran GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager.
The campaign took a steadier course at that point.
Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.
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