Another view ...
... More than a dozen staffers at The Heritage Foundation are leaving the conservative think tank to join a nonprofit led by former Vice President Mike Pence as the embattled organization continues to reel from ongoing turmoil.
Advancing American Freedom -- founded by Pence in 2021 "to defend liberty and advance policies that build a stronger America" -- announced Monday that three senior officials who led the legal, economic and data teams at Heritage would be joining the group next year, along with several members of their teams.
The departures, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, mark the latest sign of upheaval at Heritage, which has seen dozens of staffers flee the organization since it became engulfed in a scandal involving Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and the ongoing debate within the conservative movement over antisemitism.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts, the architect behind the "Project 2025" blueprint for President Donald Trump's second administration, drew sharp rebukes from conservative voices, including commentator Ben Shapiro, after standing by conservative commentator Tucker Carlson's friendly interview with Fuentes in October.
In the wake of the initial backlash, Roberts told staffers he'd make a "mistake," but asked for the chance to "clean it up" during a November all-staff meeting, according to a leaked video first published by the Washington Free Beacon.
The hires by Advancing American Freedom signal that the organization is looking to position itself as a key player within the broader conservative movement. ...
