A protest against Trump’s ally Rebecca Mercer is organized in New York City by members of the science community, who are protesting against Mercer’s role on the board of trustees at the American Museum of Natural History.
According to The Hill, over 200 scientists and academics drafted a letter on Thursday urging the museum to take Mercer off of the board, in addition to serving “ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation.”
The driving force behind the letter was by the separate, non-profit Natural History Museum.
“We ask the American Museum of Natural History, and all public science museums, to end ties to anti-science propagandists and funders of climate science misinformation, and to have Rebekah Mercer leave the American Museum of Natural History Board of Trustees,” the letter says.
“The most important asset any museum has is its credibility. This can be damaged by ties to donors and board members who are publicly known for investing in climate science obfuscation and opposing environmental solutions.”
The letter describes the Mercer family’s involvement with Breitbart News, as well as Rebecca Mercer’s role on the Trump Transition Team. During her time on the transition team, Rebecca nominated the known climate denier Arthur Robinson to be considered for the role of National Science Adviser.
The Hill reports that the family has donated to organizations such as the Heartland Institute in Illinois, which denies the scientific community’s finding that climate change has been fueled by fossil fuels.
Rebecca Mercer has been part of the board since 2013.
The same group of scientists made a similar effort in 2015 when they tried to remove conservative mega-donor David Koch, leading to Koch resigning less than a year later. According to the museum and Koch, the resignation was not related to the attempt to expel him.
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