Dear Rebekah:
You will note that I didn’t call you “Ms. Mercer.” That was intentional. Lately, your behavior has proven you aren’t deserving of such formalities.
It’s no secret that you are one of the more reclusive members of the billionaire class. That’s why it was rather telling when you broke your silence to publicly cut ties with Steve Bannon over his remarks in Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury.” The word on the street is that you’re so outraged over it that you’re angling to dump Bannon as chairman of one of your biggest investments, Breitbart News.
But it was even more telling how you responded when Breitbart editor-in-chief Alex Marlow admitted that he had gone all-in for Roy Moore during the special Senate election in Alabama despite believing that at least one of his accusers, Leigh Corfman, was credible.
That’s right. Complete silence.
So you couldn’t be bothered to speak up when the number-three man at Breitbart openly admitted that he sat and watched while Breitbart engaged in a ham-handed campaign of victim shaming despite believing that one of the accusers might be telling the truth. But the minute word got out that Bannon had dared to speak ill of Trump, you couldn’t rush out with a statement fast enough. What the hell were you thinking–that is, if you were thinking at all?
You have just offered the strongest argument to date that Breitbart must be driven out of business. After all, it is now clear that you are as morally bankrupt as your former BFF, Bannon. The only acceptable response would have been to issue an unequivocal condemnation of Marlow’s remarks, and offer an unreserved apology to Corfman and her family. But you haven’t seen fit to do either. Contrary to what Breitbart would have us believe, that is what a real news organization–or at least one with an iota of decency–would do.
On paper, it may have seemed too much to ask for you to have the decency to condemn Breitbart’s coverage of the special election. After all, you didn’t do a damn thing after it was proven beyond all doubt that Breitbart gives succor to some of the worst people in the world–neo-Nazis, white supremacists, white nationalists, the lot. But you had a chance to make a fresh start after your father sold his stake in Breitbart to you and your sister. Unfortunately, you blew it eight ways to Sunday.
I find it especially outrageous that when you announced you were cutting the cord with Bannon, you stated, “I remain committed in my support” for Breitbart. Does that mean that you are committed to supporting a publication that finds it acceptable to engage in politically-motivated victim shaming for the sake of protecting Donald Trump above all else? Sadly, I can only assume by your silence on this matter that the answer is “yes.”
Your silence on Breitbart’s willingness to drag Moore’s accusers through the mud is based on the same mentality of the 19th century robber barons. Just like you, they were more than willing to throw basic standards of decency out the window in order to fatten their bank accounts.
You may have managed to stay under the radar, unlike the Koch brothers. But after this, be warned–we will make sure that you become just as infamous as they are, and that the nation knows that you are the main enabler and sugar mama for one of the most notorious fake news shops on the Internet. And we will make sure that if and when Trump finally goes down, you go down with him.
Sincerely,
Darrell
(featured image courtesy Bloomberg News)
