Mark Meckler | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Meckler in 2011 | |
| Born | Mark Jay Meckler (1962-03-10)March 10, 1962 (age 63) |
| Education | San Diego State University (BA) University of the Pacific (JD) |
| Occupation | Political activist |
| Known for | Co-founder ofTea Party Patriots, founder ofCitizens for Self-Governance |
Mark Jay Meckler (born March 10, 1962) is an Americanpolitical activist, attorney, and business executive.[1] He currently serves as President ofCitizens for Self-Governance and Convention of States Action,[2][3] and is an active proponent of aconvention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution. Meckler was a co-founder of theTea Party Patriots before resigning from the organization in 2012. From February through May 2021, Meckler served as the interim CEO of social media platformParler.[4]
Meckler was born in Southern California and grew up inNorthridge, in the San Fernando Valley.[5][6] He obtained aBachelor of Arts degree fromSan Diego State University, and in 1988 he received aJ.D. degree from theUniversity of the PacificMcGeorge School of Law.[7]
In the early 1990s, he moved toNevada County, California, where he and his wife opened a coffeehouse inNevada City. After selling the cafe in 1997, he started a company that made equipment for the snow-skiing industry.[8][5][9] For several years Meckler and his wife also worked together as distributors forHerbalife, where they qualified for the "president's team" of top sellers.[10][11] Meckler next established a law practice focused on business law. He eventually specialized inInternet advertising law and worked as counsel for Unique Leads and Unique Lists, two closely related online marketing operations. In 2007, he worked with Opt-In Movement to create a list-generation firm that catered to political campaigns.[10][12]
Following a call for protests fromCNBC Business News editorRick Santelli and others, Meckler and his family began promoting the idea of aTea Party protest inSacramento, California, on February 27, 2009. They arrived at the planned protest location with homemade signs, but without an event permit, which they had to apply for on the spot. Approximately 150 people participated, and Meckler began planning further protests, which led him to make contact with other activists in the burgeoningTea Party movement.[8] Meckler co-founded the Tea Party Patriots organization in March 2009, along with Rob Neppell,Jenny Beth Martin andAmy Kremer.[13] The organization became one of the largest in the Tea Party movement.[14]
As a spokesperson for theTea Party Patriots, Meckler was often quoted by journalists in articles about the Tea Party movement.[15] Meckler was outspoken about the Tea Party being agrassroots movement and independent from traditional political parties. He said the movement was "neither left nor right", but consisted of "people of common sense who coalesce around the principles of fiscal responsibility,constitutionally limited government and free markets."[5] He criticized theTea Party Express organization for being too closely aligned with theRepublican Party.[16] Meckler condemned radio personalityMark Williams, then chairman of the Tea Party Express, as "vile" and "racist" after Williams made blog posts about theNAACP that were criticized as racially insensitive.[17]
Meckler and Martin co-authored a book,Tea Party Patriots: The Second American Revolution, which was published in February 2012.[18] Shortly after the book was published, Meckler resigned from the Tea Party Patriots, citing differences with Martin and other board members over how the organization was being managed.[19] OnThe Dylan Ratigan Show, Meckler said, "The organization had been doing things that associated it with the Republican party. I'm not a Republican, and a large number of people in the Tea Party movement—40%—aren't Republicans. So when they sponsored theSouthern Republican Leadership Conference to the tune of $250,000, really it was kind of the final blow for me."[20]
In September 2015, Meckler wrote an article forThe Hill noting his satisfaction with RepublicanJohn Boehner's resignation from his position asSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives. Meckler wrote that "Boehner had a long history of selling out the American people" and "America deserves better."[21]
Meckler founded the organizationCitizens for Self-Governance (CSG) to "focus on broadening the philosophical reach of the idea of 'self-governance' outside of the Tea Party movement".[22][23] In April 2012, Meckler became an adviser to theCampaign for Primary Accountability, aSuperPAC.[24]
Through his work with CSG, Meckler has helped to file a class action lawsuit against theInternal Revenue Service, alleging violations under thePrivacy Act as well as violations of constitutional rights guaranteeing free expression and equal protection under the law. The lawsuit stemmed from IRS targeting of conservative groups for more scrutiny as they applied for tax-exempt status.[25][26] In March 2016, a three-judge panel of theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit made a unanimous ruling rebuking the IRS and giving the agency two weeks to produce the names of organizations it targeted based on their political leanings.[27]
Meckler has also been an active proponent of aconvention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution.[28]
AfterMarco Rubio endorsed CSG's plans for a convention of states to propose amendments, Meckler said he was glad to see the Convention of States Project "enter the mainstream of presidential politics."[29][30]
In September 2016, CSG held a simulatedconvention to propose amendments to the United States Constitution inWilliamsburg, Virginia.[31] Of the simulation, Meckler said: "People from all states gathered, proposed six amendments and ran a simulated convention. It has never been done before in American history. The point was proof of concept." Meckler said an Article V convention would have three focuses, including imposing financial restraints on the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and imposing term limits on officials and members of Congress.[32]
Meckler sits on the executive committee ofParler,[33] an Americanalt-techmicroblogging andsocial networking service popular with supporters of former President Donald Trump.[34] On February 15, 2021, Parler announced that Meckler was interim CEO of the company, after the board fired the previous CEO and Parler founder John Matze.[4] George Farmer took over Parler from Meckler in May 2021.[35]
Meckler is married and has two children.[22]
In December 2011, Meckler attempted to check in a hand gun prior to a flight departing from New York'sLaGuardia Airport. He was arrested and charged with second degree criminal possession of a weapon. Meckler had a permit to carry the gun in California, but it was not valid under thegun laws in New York. Meckler was released followingarraignment. A spokesman for the Port Authority Police said Meckler "had a misunderstanding of the law. He had a permit to carry in California." An attorney for Meckler said Meckler was "in temporary transit" through New York and the gun was "lawful" and in a safe approved by theTransportation Security Administration.[36] After the incident, Meckler said he believed his constitutional rights had been violated.[37][38][39] Meckler paid a $250 fine and his gun was destroyed.[40]
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