Posted on 05/02/2017 2:02:45 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
MAY 2, 2017—Thomas A. Saunders III, chairman of The Heritage Foundation’s Board of Trustees, released the following statement to the Heritage staff about a leadership change at the organization.
___________________________________________
The Heritage Foundation’s Board of Trustees, by a unanimous vote, has asked for and received the resignation of Jim DeMint as president and CEO of the organization. The Board elected Heritage Founder Ed Feulner as president and CEO while we conduct a thorough search for his successor.
After a comprehensive and independent review of the entire Heritage organization, the Board determined there were significant and worsening management issues that led to a breakdown of internal communications and cooperation. While the organization has seen many successes, Jim DeMint and a handful of his closest advisers failed to resolve these problems.
This was a difficult and necessary decision for the Board to take. As trustees, we have governance and oversight responsibilities for this organization and our 500,000 members. We were compelled to take action.
Heritage has never been about one individual, but rather the power of conservative ideas. Heritage is bigger than any one person.
As Chairman of the Board, I wholeheartedly endorse this change. It will make Heritage stronger in the short term and the long run.
Heritage is a permanent policy research institution fighting for conservative ideas, as Ed Feulner often reminds us. We remain committed, as ever, to the principles that have made America great: free enterprise; limited government; individual freedom; traditional American values; and a strong national defense. This will continue under the leadership of Ed and his successor.
Feulner led Heritage for more than three decades and returns to our organization after serving on President Trump’s transition team. There is no one better to guide the ship while we seek our new leader and continue to push for conservative ideas and policies in Washington and around the nation.
As conservatives, we have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us to restore the principles of the American founding. You and the 500,000 Americans who donate to support Heritage have played a crucial role in making our work possible, and I look forward to working with you in the future. As we move forward, the Board of Trustees will be seeking your thoughts and input about our search for the next leader of Heritage.
Thanks to your support, our scholars have shaped public policy in a firmly conservative direction for the last 44 years and will continue to do so in the future.
I regret not being able to let you know sooner about this change. While we were trying to resolve this matter amicably, we honored our side of the bargain to remain silent.
I wanted to ensure that the Board’s decision was final before alerting you. Unfortunately, the media ran with speculation about this story before the facts could be disclosed. As a loyal Heritage supporter, I hope that you will understand the reasons that compelled these changes and stand with us in this time of transition.
Thank you for all your support and dedication to the conservative cause.
Sincerely,
Thomas A. Saunders III Chairman, Board of Trustees The Heritage Foundation
I wonder if it strikes anyone else that “winning” looks an awful lot like “losing” these days.
Makes you wonder what the real story is.
RIP Demint.
I always thought you were one of us.
Not happy that Mercer forced him out just in time for a vote on bills that the Dems are happy with.
Trump said we'd get tired of winning. He was right.
I’ve always respected the Heritage Foundation. And Jim DeMint.
I have no idea who is right or wrong here. Really don’t care.
I just wish the best for all going forward.
“Not happy that Mercer forced him out just in time for a vote on bills that the Dems are happy with.”
Why does that matter? He’s not been in the Senate since 2013, and holds no public office. I am concerned though about the “palace coup” at Heritage. Just want to know if they should be cast aside for what they’ve done to DeMint.
“When DeMint went in, Heritage became very political. It changed from a highly respected think tank to just a partisan tool and more ideological — more of a tea party organization than a think tank,” said Mickey Edwards, one of the organization’s founding trustees and a former Republican congressman from Oklahoma. “Hopefully, Feulner, if he takes over, can help reestablish Heritage as what it used to be during the Reagan years.”
Why does it matter??
think about it.
Hard
Why the palace coup...???
Because Mercers wants Heritage to not get in the way of passing bills..and Demint got in the way.
Founder’s syndrome. DeMint’s predecessor (and now successor) has been with Heritage for almost 50 years. It can be hard to turn over the reins to someone who’s doing things differently than you might have done them.
I’m no particular fan of DeMint, but he is who he is. He hasn’t changed his stripes. No one can seriously be surprised at what he’s done while at Heritage. The board screwed up in hiring someone who wasn’t a carbon copy of Feulner, apparently.
AEI has been eating Heritage’s lunch for years- a change of course is long overdue.
Waste of time and money. Heritage is worthless.
No way, Demint passed away?
Rumor is DeMint will be leading the WH in-house legistlation-writing group that replaces K-Street; hope he snagged the top minds at Heritage to go with him.
That’s a bitchy statement.
I have a nasty suspicion that it will move further to the left.
I would place my bets on Jim DeMint as being “right.”
The cold war, that's what we want!
Excellent political cartoon!
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