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| Richard Mellon Scaife obituary | Richard Mellon Scaife obituary |
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| The resurgence of rightwing conservatism in America in the last quarter of the 20th century was attributed to various politicians, writers, economists and clergymen, but there was only one important source of financing: the reclusive billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, who has died aged 82. It was Scaife who financed a coordinated effort to "get" (his word) President Bill Clinton, in a campaign that culminated in Clinton's impeachment and acquittal in 1998-99. | The resurgence of rightwing conservatism in America in the last quarter of the 20th century was attributed to various politicians, writers, economists and clergymen, but there was only one important source of financing: the reclusive billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife, who has died aged 82. It was Scaife who financed a coordinated effort to "get" (his word) President Bill Clinton, in a campaign that culminated in Clinton's impeachment and acquittal in 1998-99. |
| Over the decades, on one estimate, the heir to the oil and banking Mellon fortune gave well over half a billion dollars to rightwing causes and institutions, including a shadowy foray into Britain. His money enabled the US movement to thrive, so that, in 1994, a Republican party dominated by the right took over Congress in a historic defeat for the Democrats. Scaife himself remained in the background, removing his name from Who's Who while still middle-aged, never making speeches or writing articles, shunning the media – despite owning several newspapers – and avoiding personal appearances. | Over the decades, on one estimate, the heir to the oil and banking Mellon fortune gave well over half a billion dollars to rightwing causes and institutions, including a shadowy foray into Britain. His money enabled the US movement to thrive, so that, in 1994, a Republican party dominated by the right took over Congress in a historic defeat for the Democrats. Scaife himself remained in the background, removing his name from Who's Who while still middle-aged, never making speeches or writing articles, shunning the media – despite owning several newspapers – and avoiding personal appearances. |
| His family did not approve of Scaife's extremist philanthropy. His mother, Sarah, had avoided politics, but when she died in 1965, Scaife's redirection of the family's three main foundations so much upset his sister Cordelia that the two were estranged for decades until being reconciled before her death in 2005. | His family did not approve of Scaife's extremist philanthropy. His mother, Sarah, had avoided politics, but when she died in 1965, Scaife's redirection of the family's three main foundations so much upset his sister Cordelia that the two were estranged for decades until being reconciled before her death in 2005. |
| Scaife was also an alcoholic for much of his life, managing to sober up only after his second marriage in 1991. His drinking was said to be the cause of his violent tempers, the long grudges he bore and his obsessive hounding of people he hated. Although Scaife's abusiveness often alienated him from even his rightwing beneficiaries, nobody could deny that his money had been extremely important. He financed the foundation and support of rightwing thinktanks, sponsored such politicians as Newt Gingrich, who became Republican speaker of the House of Representatives in 1994, and kept an assortment of rightwing campaigns going. He financed lawsuits against the Clintons and their associates that cost the defendants millions of dollars in legal fees. | |
| Scaife came from the Pittsburgh dynasty founded by his banker great-grandfather Thomas; his great-uncle Andrew Mellon took over the bank and developed an industrial empire that included Gulf Oil and Alcoa, as well as serving presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover as treasury secretary. Born in Pittsburgh, Richard was the son of Sarah Mellon and Alan Scaife, an unsuccessful dabbler in business. Known as "Dickie", he went to Deerfield academy in Massachusetts and then Yale, but was expelled for a drunken prank in which he broke a classmate's legs. | Scaife came from the Pittsburgh dynasty founded by his banker great-grandfather Thomas; his great-uncle Andrew Mellon took over the bank and developed an industrial empire that included Gulf Oil and Alcoa, as well as serving presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover as treasury secretary. Born in Pittsburgh, Richard was the son of Sarah Mellon and Alan Scaife, an unsuccessful dabbler in business. Known as "Dickie", he went to Deerfield academy in Massachusetts and then Yale, but was expelled for a drunken prank in which he broke a classmate's legs. |
| After obtaining a degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh – where his father was chairman of the board of trustees – he entered the family business in 1957 and soon inherited both a fortune and control of the foundations. In 1969 he bought a small Pennsylvania paper, now the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and over the years added several more titles of modest size, but never acquired a major metropolitan publication because, it was said, he preferred to avoid the publicity this would entail. | After obtaining a degree in English from the University of Pittsburgh – where his father was chairman of the board of trustees – he entered the family business in 1957 and soon inherited both a fortune and control of the foundations. In 1969 he bought a small Pennsylvania paper, now the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and over the years added several more titles of modest size, but never acquired a major metropolitan publication because, it was said, he preferred to avoid the publicity this would entail. |
| Scaife had become active in Republican politics in 1956, but in the 1970s he began secretly funding what was then called the New Right, as it began to replace the patrician, country-club set of traditional Republicans. He helped establish the Heritage Foundation, which became an influential rightwing thinktank, and he contributed generously to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Cato Institute and AEI, the American Enterprise Institute. He formed six legal foundations across the country to mount conservative lawsuits, and funded rightwing economics seminars for judges. | Scaife had become active in Republican politics in 1956, but in the 1970s he began secretly funding what was then called the New Right, as it began to replace the patrician, country-club set of traditional Republicans. He helped establish the Heritage Foundation, which became an influential rightwing thinktank, and he contributed generously to the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Cato Institute and AEI, the American Enterprise Institute. He formed six legal foundations across the country to mount conservative lawsuits, and funded rightwing economics seminars for judges. |
| Then came his curious London adventure. His father had become an officer in the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, in second world war London, and Scaife maintained an interest in clandestine activities. In 1973 he bought Kern House Enterprises, a US firm that ran Forum World Features, a London-based supplier of articles to dozens of newspapers around the world. | Then came his curious London adventure. His father had become an officer in the Office of Strategic Services, the precursor to the CIA, in second world war London, and Scaife maintained an interest in clandestine activities. In 1973 he bought Kern House Enterprises, a US firm that ran Forum World Features, a London-based supplier of articles to dozens of newspapers around the world. |
| However, in 1975 a CIA memo from seven years earlier came to light. It described Forum as a propaganda unit sponsored by the CIA to combat communism and to further conservative politics. Scaife quickly withdrew his money amid widespread unfavourable publicity about the syndicate. | However, in 1975 a CIA memo from seven years earlier came to light. It described Forum as a propaganda unit sponsored by the CIA to combat communism and to further conservative politics. Scaife quickly withdrew his money amid widespread unfavourable publicity about the syndicate. |
| During the Reagan administration, which he supported, Scaife continued to nurture the right, but was galvanised by the advent of Clinton in 1992. As the scandals proliferated he poured $2.4m into the Arkansas Project, which he launched in 1994 and ran via the rightwing monthly magazine the American Spectator. It carried articles going back to Bill Clinton's governorship of Arkansas, suggested that both Clintons were behind various crimes, including drug smuggling and murder, and suggested that White House assistant counsel Vincent Foster had not killed himself but was murdered. | During the Reagan administration, which he supported, Scaife continued to nurture the right, but was galvanised by the advent of Clinton in 1992. As the scandals proliferated he poured $2.4m into the Arkansas Project, which he launched in 1994 and ran via the rightwing monthly magazine the American Spectator. It carried articles going back to Bill Clinton's governorship of Arkansas, suggested that both Clintons were behind various crimes, including drug smuggling and murder, and suggested that White House assistant counsel Vincent Foster had not killed himself but was murdered. |
| Scaife funded a legal foundation that took over Paula Jones's sex harassment suit against Bill Clinton, eventually causing his impeachment over lies under oath and alleged interference with evidence. The Western Journalism Centre in California, another Scaife beneficiary, produced the Clinton Chronicles | |
| Nonetheless, the president completed his second term. Some years later, in 2007, Scaife had lunch with him and made a donation to his campaign to tackle HIV and Aids in Africa, letting it be known that he respected Clinton's "very important work representing the country when the US is widely resented in the world". In 2008 he and journalists from the Tribune-Review interviewed Hillary Clinton, and endorsed her campaign to become the Democratic candidate for president; a decade earlier she had denounced on television the "vast rightwing conspiracy" against her husband. | Nonetheless, the president completed his second term. Some years later, in 2007, Scaife had lunch with him and made a donation to his campaign to tackle HIV and Aids in Africa, letting it be known that he respected Clinton's "very important work representing the country when the US is widely resented in the world". In 2008 he and journalists from the Tribune-Review interviewed Hillary Clinton, and endorsed her campaign to become the Democratic candidate for president; a decade earlier she had denounced on television the "vast rightwing conspiracy" against her husband. |
| In 1956 Scaife married Frances Gilmore. They divorced in 1991, and he is survived by their children, Jennie and David, and two grandchildren. Later in 1991 he married Margaret Ritchie Battle. They divorced in 2012. | In 1956 Scaife married Frances Gilmore. They divorced in 1991, and he is survived by their children, Jennie and David, and two grandchildren. Later in 1991 he married Margaret Ritchie Battle. They divorced in 2012. |
| • Richard Mellon Scaife, publisher, philanthropist and activist, born 3 July 1932; died 4 July 2014 | • Richard Mellon Scaife, publisher, philanthropist and activist, born 3 July 1932; died 4 July 2014 |
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