I believe DeMint made a statement to the effect that he could do more for the conservative cause by going to the foundation than staying as a cog in the Senate. I think he felt that Heritage offered more opportunity to provide conservative education and outreach to the unwashed masses. Seems that the coup in DC is being engineered by the Globalist Uniparty rather than those who want to drain the swamp.
Neither DeMint nor Needham nor anyone prior to them at Heritage ever had any interest in the unwashed masses. Their single minded goal has been incestuous relations inside the choir. Their goal has always been to create a conservative swamp where the insiders are our insiders rather that the Left's insiders.
Maybe there is a justification for mercy killing... at least of organizations.