Heritage Foundation Endures Seismic Shift as Edwin Meese III Joins New Conservative Think Tank

Former U.S. Attorney General and prominent conservative legal figure Edwin Meese III has departed the Heritage Foundation, signaling a major blow to the once-dominant think tank amid ongoing internal turmoil.

Meese, 93, served for decades as a guiding force at Heritage and lent his stature as one of President Ronald Reagan’s closest advisers to the institution’s legal mission. At Heritage, he held the position of Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow and directed the Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies.

On Monday, Meese announced that both he and his legal center have transitioned to Advancing American Freedom (AAF), a new conservative think tank supported by former Vice President Mike Pence. In a statement, Meese expressed confidence that the newly formed Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law would continue its mission: “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.”

Meese’s departure follows the resignation of three Heritage board members, the exit of multiple senior fellows, and mounting controversy surrounding Heritage President Kevin Roberts. Meese was one of the central architects of Reagan-era conservatism, serving as White House counselor, deputy chief of staff, and ultimately attorney general from 1985 to 1988.

He was instrumental in shaping originalist legal theory, the conservative judicial pipeline, and the modern alliance between the conservative movement and the federal judiciary. At Heritage, Meese long served as a moral and intellectual anchor, particularly through his legal center. His departure, insiders say, removes one of the institution’s last unifying figures.

“This is not just another staff exit,” said one longtime conservative legal advocate familiar with Heritage’s internal dynamics. “Ed Meese is synonymous with the credibility of conservative legal institutions. Losing him is seismic.”

The announcement comes days after AAF revealed it had hired three senior Heritage leaders—John Malcolm, Richard Stern, and Kevin Dayaratna, Ph.D.—along with members of their teams.

Malcolm, who previously served as vice president of Heritage’s Institute for Constitutional Government and director of the Meese Center, will establish the Edwin Meese III Institute for the Rule of Law at AAF. Stern, Heritage’s former economic policy chief, will lead the Plymouth Institute for Free Enterprise, while Dayaratna will build a new Center for Statistical Modeling & Scientific Analysis.

Meese praised AAF’s leadership, stating it “has already established itself as a leader in the conservative movement.” Pence welcomed the additions, calling them “principled conservative scholars” with “a deep commitment to the Constitution and the conservative movement.”

The shake-up occurs as Heritage grapples with fallout from a scandal involving Roberts. After Roberts failed to criticize or condemn Tucker Carlson for promoting antisemitism, Heritage has faced donor exodus and internal strife. Multiple board members have resigned, and several senior fellows have quietly departed as Roberts refuses to step down despite repeated calls within the conservative movement.

Once considered the preeminent conservative think tank in Washington, Heritage is now navigating a competitive landscape increasingly shaped by former officials who have established new organizations. AAF President Tim Chapman stated that the organization is “building a team of principled conservatives who will fight for America’s future,” emphasizing that the new hires would “shape the future of the conservative movement.”