More than a dozen staff, including multiple director-level positions, have left the Heritage Foundation and joined former Vice President Mike Pence’s think tank amid controversy over how the former responded to concerns about anti-Semitism.

In a press release on Dec. 22, Pence said his organization Advancing American Freedom was “honored to welcome these principled conservative scholars to the team.” On social media, his group positioned itself as the new home of the conservative movement.

The Heritage Foundation has seen multiple departures following its president’s attempt to defend former Fox News host Tucker Carlson after he released an interview with podcast host Nick Fuentes, known for his anti-Israel and anti-Semitic views.

Among those joining Pence were Heritage’s chief statistician Keven Dayaratna and John Malcolm, who served in multiple leadership roles at Heritage. Malcolm was not only vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government but also director of the legal center named after former Attorney General Edwin Meese.

In a statement provided to The Epoch Times, Heritage Foundation Chief Advancement Officer Andy Olivastro said “a handful of staff chose a different path—some through disruption, others through disloyalty.”

He added that Malcolm and Jessica Reinsch, who is formerly the deputy director of programs for the Meese Center and is also joining Pence’s think tank, were terminated last week.

Meese announced on Dec. 22 that a new center named after him was starting at Pence’s think tank.

“I am confident that the lawyers and staff in the Meese Institute will continue to play a leading role in advancing the conservative legal movement in terms of their scholarship, and by working with allies to achieve our mutual objectives, educating the general public about important legal issues, helping to train the next generation of conservative lawyers, and defending the Constitution and rule of law,” he said in the press release.

Leaving from one Meese center for another, three senior legal fellows and three other staffers joined Advancing American Freedom with Malcolm.

Richard Stern, who served as acting director of Heritage’s economic policy institute, is set to lead the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise at Pence’s think tank. Joining him are four other staffers, including two senior research fellows.

Pence’s announcement came after Josh Blackman, a constitutional law scholar, posted a resignation letter he sent to Heritage President Kevin Roberts over the weekend. “Your actions have made my continued affiliation with Heritage untenable ... your comments were a huge unforced blunder, and gave aid and comfort to the rising tide of antisemitism on the right,” he told Roberts.

Blackman is listed as a contributor to Heritage’s Project 2025 document and edited “The Heritage Guide to the Constitution,” which the organization described as a “comprehensive guide to the Constitution’s original meaning from more than 150 jurists, scholars, and practitioners.”

Ongoing Debate

In his letter to Roberts, Blackman said that “jurists, scholars, and advocates have made clear to me they can no longer associate with the Heritage Guide they contributed to.”

Roberts later apologized but continued facing scrutiny for his handling of the controversy, with Blackman describing his apology as “underwhelming.” Prior to Blackman’s departure, several others left as well. Just last week, board of trustees members Shane McCullar and Abby Spencer Moffat left the organization.

Meanwhile, Olivastro described the organization as “surging ahead” with rising contributions and an increase in major gift donors.

“We are investing millions annually in partnerships and innovation to strengthen the conservative movement nationwide. ... Heritage is building the team that will deliver—not for yesterday’s fights, but for tomorrow’s victories,” he said.

The Heritage split is part of an ongoing debate within the conservative movement over how to respond to those who make offensive comments, highlighted in speeches by conservative influencers in the days leading up to Pence’s announcement.

Daily Wire host Ben Shapiro used his speech at Turning Point USA’s AmFest to criticize other conservative influencers’ conduct. For example, he targeted Carlson for hosting Fuentes and criticized his former colleague, Candace Owens, for speculating about others being involved in the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Vice President JD Vance, who took Pence’s place after acrimony between him and Trump, urged conservatives not to cancel one another during his speech at AmFest.

Compounding tensions was an ongoing debate over what it meant to be an American and the role that one’s heritage played in American identity.

Princeton Professor Robert George, who departed Heritage’s board last month, appeared to wade into the debate with a social media post on Dec. 21.

Conservatives, he said, should learn from the left’s embrace of identity politics, which he described as mistaken. “We need to stay a million miles away from identitarianism,” he said. “Make that two million. No, three million.”

Emel Akan and Nathan Worcester contributed to this report.