2 More Heritage Foundation Board Members Resign After Carlson-Fuentes Scandal

A Growing Crisis at the Heritage Foundation

Two more members of the Heritage Foundation's board of trustees have resigned in response to the conservative think tank’s president defending an interview between conservative pundit Tucker Carlson and white nationalist Nick Fuentes. This development has sparked significant concern among former board members, who believe the foundation is drifting away from its core principles.

Shane McCullar, a former board member, expressed his disappointment in a statement obtained by Mediaite. He emphasized that no institution can claim to uphold the vision that once made the Heritage Foundation respected if it hesitates to condemn antisemitism and hatred. "I cannot, in good conscience, remain on a board that is unwilling to confront the lapses in judgment that have harmed its credibility, its culture, and the conservative movement it once helped shape," he said. McCullar concluded by stating that he could not support the course the foundation had chosen for its future.

The Hill has reached out to McCullar for further comment.

Abby Spencer Moffat, another former board member, also shared her reasons for resigning. She described her decision as difficult, given her family’s long and meaningful relationship with the institution, but necessary. "Heritage’s handling of recent challenges reveals a drift from the principles that once defined its leadership," she stated. Moffat added that when an institution hesitates to confront harmful ideas, it forfeits the moral authority on which its influence depends. She remains committed to the ideals of the American Founding and to institutions that champion human dignity and responsible governance.

Moffat’s family previously pledged the largest gift the Heritage Foundation ever received. In 2023, the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation gave a five-year, $25 million commitment intended to go toward the organization’s “long-term policy goals,” according to a statement. Moffat served as its CEO.

The Foundation’s Response

The foundation’s chief advancement officer, Andy Olivastro, expressed gratitude for the service of both McCullar and Moffat in a statement. He mentioned that the foundation will continue advancing bold initiatives grounded in permanent things and anchored by its Four Cornerstones: the American Family, the Dignity of Work and Future of Free Enterprise, National Security, and American Heritage and Citizenship.

The Heritage Foundation board of trustees had preplanned end-of-year meetings on Monday and Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the think tank. These meetings were scheduled before the recent resignations.

A History of Controversy

The two departures come almost one month after board member Robert P. George resigned over Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts defending Carlson for interviewing Fuentes. Roberts made a controversial video stating that the foundation would not listen to the “venomous coalition” trying to “cancel” Carlson for the interview.

George criticized the interview in a post on the social platform X shortly after it aired. He wrote, "I will not — I cannot — accept the idea that we have 'no enemies to the right.' The white supremacists, the antisemites, the eugenicists, the bigots, must not be welcomed into our movement or treated as normal or acceptable."

Earlier in November, Roberts announced that Heritage staff would see their roles reassigned via an email with the subject line: “Heritage’s Stand Against Antisemitism and for Civilizational Truth.” The email, obtained by The Hill, stated that the foundation “launched and expanded numerous explicit efforts to combat antisemitism” under Roberts’s leadership. He went on to say the organization stood “firm against cancel culture” but added that “rejecting cancel culture does not mean tolerating evil.”

Emily Brooks contributed.