Cruz praises GOP megadonor in Time 100 profile

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is praising Republican megadonor Rebekah Mercer as a “warrior and a patriot” as part of “Time” magazine’s “100 Most Influential people” series.

“From think tanks to public policy organizations to online media to path-breaking data analytics, Bekah has helped transform the world of politics,” he wrote. “She understands the populist frustration with the bipartisan corruption in Washington, and she is one of the strongest champions of draining the swamp.”

{mosads}Cruz added that Mercer played a pivotal role in his campaign last year as well as President Trump’s.

“And she has helped fund upstart campaigns and underdog candidates, including my own senate and presidential campaigns,” he said.

“When Donald Trump won the [2016] nomination, Bekah played a pivotal role in helping assemble the team and the strategy that shocked the world in November.”

Rebekah Mercer is the middle daughter of Robert Mercer, a New York hedge fund billionaire and longtime Republican megadonor.

The Mercers put $13.5 million into a super PAC supporting Cruz’s White House run before ultimately rallying around Trump once he won the Republican nomination.

Rebekah Mercer, a billionaire herself, is director of the Mercer Family Foundation and a trustee with the conservative Heritage Foundation.

The Mercers are also reportedly close with White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, who served as Trump’s campaign CEO after leaving his role as chairman of the far-right Breitbart News.