Mapping the Swamp

I spent a few hours this weekend sifting through information I've been collecting over the last few months in an attempt to diagram the connections between various individuals in and around Team Trump. I was particularly interested in plotting the connections to Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, who have in an impressively short span of time become two of the most influential oligarchs in American politics.

(Full-size Image)

As you can see, things got a bit cluttered. Now that I've got some idea what I'm looking at, I can plan a better layout for the next version but it seemed a waste not to share what had already been done.

While I was already aware of most of the connections between the Mercers and Bannon, Conway, Bossie, Carson, Cruz, Giuliani, John Bolton and others, there were a number of things that I was also completely unaware of. Perhaps most surprising was that the cadre of Mercer-backed operatives who essentially took over the Trump campaign and have since been installed in key roles within the administration are also members of the Council for National Policy (CNP). If you don't know who the CNP is, it's worth while to do a little reading.

I show 7 CNP members in the diagram but there are almost certainly more. Many of these names can be found in a "leaked" copy of the members directory from 2014. The membership of Stephen Bannon, Kellyanne Conway and David Bossie was all news to me. One person that is listed on Wikipedia (no source) and is included in the diagram but not shown linked to CNP is Elsa Prince, mother of Erik Prince and Betsy DeVos.

What you can however see in the diagram is that Erik Prince and Elisa Prince both gave to the Mercer's very exclusive PAC, Make America Number 1. Their donations were modest compared to the second and third largest donors, Bernie Marcus (co-founder of Home Depot) at $2 million and Peter Thiel at $1 million, but certainly not insignificant at $100k and $50k respectively. Jeremy Scahill at The Intercept has a very interesting article about what Erik Prince really wants. Beyond an appointment for his sister — for which she's completely unqualified — the notorious founder of Blackwater (or founder of the notorious Blackwater?) has his sights set beyond running mercenaries to heading a private firm of assassins contracted for operations al a CIA's Project Phoenix.

Finally, it appears that Bossie, Katrina Pierson, Brad Parscale, Rick Gates (deputy campaign manager under Manafort) and two of Pence's advisors have been tapped by the Mercers for a new organization which is also supposed to be getting additional funding from Bernie Marcus.

the Trump aides slated to run the group, as well as with Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus and his political guru Steve Hantler, who are expected to provide key financial backing for the effort.

Until recently, the Mercers’ support was considered a virtual certainty. Cambridge Analytica, the data analytics firm owned largely by the family and routinely employed to work on its political projects, had already begun doing work for the outside effort, according to a source familiar with the conversations, though it’s not clear whether that work is ongoing. The firm declined comment.

Like much of what the Mercers are involved in politically, it would appear that 1) Rebekah Mercer will oversee the family's investment (there are other board memberships not shown in the diagram as I was running out of space) amd 2) Cambridge Analytica will be running the psyops. Which reminds me, I am planning a follow up to The Billionaire's Brain Hackers to detail more past and present activities of the Mercer-funded psyops spin-off for the US election market (which Bannon sits on the board of).

That's it for now. While I'm sure this won't be as viewed as a thread showing how Soros gave $5k to some group and therefore supposedly controls them, I hope it'll still serve as a jumping off point/inspiration for other's research.

I appreciate the hard work.

I kind wish you were that diligent on the last guy.

Dogs hang around Dogs.

Cats hang around Cats.

Billionaires hang around Billionaires.

S&F for the effort.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Great OP. A lot of info to sift through. S&F

a reply to: RomeByFire

How many threads are created about Hillary and how she's going to be found guilty?

At best they might spend 5 minutes searching on the net.

But come on diagrams of swamps ?

That's taking 'things' to fit an already preconceived bias to the next level.

a reply to: theantediluvian

Looks like the Flux Capacitors instruction manual.

Lots of info, lots of names, and lots connections! Good thread!

a reply to: whyamIhere

Well if somebody wants to collaborate, both the other co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies (Peter Brown) and the founder/Chairman of the Board, James Simmons, are big supporters of the Democrats to the tune of many millions of their own.

It's a very big swamp.

so, rich people know each other eh? That`s hardly breaking news and it isn`t precedence setting.

Relatively speaking there aren`t a lot of 1%ers so it`s inevitable that they all know each other and travel in the same circles professionally and socially.

a reply to: whyamIhere

Damn, your post took me by surprise. I agree. Have a star.

Its definitely troubling that there are so many connections like this.

But its true of everyone in politics.

But I see where you are coming from. Trump had the message of drain the swamp, so whats wuth these connections.

Well to me the swamp was the establishment on both sides. We will see if Trump can have an impact, but what I do know, without any doubt in my mind, is that the establishment on both sides hate him.

Clearly on the left, which goes without saying. But on the right; the national review, Mccain, McConnell, Graham,the bushes, Rubio.

They are all foaming at the mouth to continue neocon wars and they are worried Trump may not be into it. Look at how Rubio attacked Tillerson for not call Putin a war criminal.

Look at how many establishment Republicans both a politicians and media have been outraged today that Trump said the US has been bad too. This is something you would think the Bernies and other leftists would have applauded, but nope.

And so when trump has establishment people around him, he is considered of cozing up to the swamp.

But when he brings in outsiders like Tillerson or Bannon, well then these people are too radical, or are to cozy to Russia, etc.

For trumps opponents, he doesn't matter who he surrounds himself around. Either he is just the same old part of the establishment, or he is bringing in radical people with no experience that will fail.

Star and flag for the hard yards.

However, I'm surprised Hillary and the Clinton foundation doesn't appear.

a reply to: Tardacus

Yeah, I agree but allowing them all to control your gov't and tax dollars to line their pockets while exerting power and control is something you think is a good idea?

Here's a hint, them 1% are all apart of that Big Club you're describing. It's a Big Club but you ain't in it. You and I are not in the Big Club. It's filled with people who don't care about you. They don't care about you at all. At all. They use the politicians to give you the illusion of choice. You don't. You have no choice. They own you. They own everything.

You think this is a good thing all because they know each other? Goldman Sachs, along with many other Big Banks, have all been fined for various, serious criminal acts. They caused 2007 to literally line their pockets. No jail time, well some, but few, fall guys went down but the top guys are still there and in Trump's administration. They only care about themselves and making money. Trump is opening that door for them and you think it's okay because they know each other?

To be fair to Trump, he didn't hang out with Goldman Sachs and has no relationship to them, well besides loans I'm sure. He was introduced to them because of one man, Wall Street Billionaire Robert Mercer who dropped Ted Cruz and took ahold of Trump's campaign once he got the nomination. After that, the billionaires and Wall Street were fully on board.

It's looking like they have a solid plan & the cooperation in place to make America great again.

Erik Prince is happy enough contractually already. It appears that the way current policy makers are using his org is not doing us--or the mideast any favors.

Going after the heart of terrorism and recruitment by focusing our special forces/ops on "takeout" missions should not only be much more effective, it will increasingly spare collateral damage.

I can't wait for them to get it going!

So the 'Swamp' has been drained, then re-filled with newish life forms of the same stripe...
Is it that surprising that the same old, same-old, are back on board ?

This time with repugnant Bannon leading the pack of hyenas, jackals and hawks.

Nothing good will come of this.

originally posted by: Swills
a reply to: Tardacus

Yeah, I agree but allowing them all to control your gov't and tax dollars to line their pockets while exerting power and control is something you think is a good idea?

Here's a hint, them 1% are all apart of that Big Club you're describing. It's a Big Club but you ain't in it. You and I are not in the Big Club. It's filled with people who don't care about you. They don't care about you at all. At all. They use the politicians to give you the illusion of choice. You don't. You have no choice. They own you. They own everything.

You think this is a good thing all because they know each other? Goldman Sachs, along with many other Big Banks, have all been fined for various, serious criminal acts. They caused 2007 to literally line their pockets. No jail time, well some, but few, fall guys went down but the top guys are still there and in Trump's administration. They only care about themselves and making money. Trump is opening that door for them and you think it's okay because they know each other?

To be fair to Trump, he didn't hang out with Goldman Sachs and has no relationship to them, well besides loans I'm sure. He was introduced to them because of one man, Wall Street Billionaire Robert Mercer who dropped Ted Cruz and took ahold of Trump's campaign once he got the nomination. After that, the billionaires and Wall Street were fully on board.

Good Carlin quote!

a reply to: Grambler

You damn right.

Love Carlin and his take on the American Dream. I'd post it, but ATS doesn't like it because language.

originally posted by: theantediluvian
I'm sure this won't be as viewed as a thread showing how Soros gave $5k to some group and therefore supposedly controls them,

wow its pretty outrageous how delusional your hypocrisy has gotten, you criticize someone pointing out a link of 5k in the same post that you've made yourself an entire map of similar donations, many of the data points within your map exist for nothing but less then $100 in donations, so to you, its irrelevant that soros gave 5k to a senator, but to you it is utter conspiracy that a republican would donate less then 100$ to the republican presidential candidate during his campaign,

that is going full retard.

a reply to: theantediluvian

So what should worry me about this diagram or these people? Is Robert Mercer an anti American globalist? Or is this just a bunch of people who gave money to a campaign getting various jobs in the administration? Why do you care so much about these people? All honest questions. What is alarming to you about these connections? How will it effect you or me? How will this effect our country? Or is this just pointing out what the new swamp looks like?