The Lincoln Project condemned its co-founder John Weaver in an official statement released on Sunday after a New York Times The report published nearly two dozen testimonies that accused the Republican political strategist of sexual harassment several years ago.
Before co-founding the Lincoln Project, a political action committee comprised of current and former Republicans who sought to prevent Donald Trump from holding office during the 2020 election season, Weaver served as an advisor to former presidential candidates John McCain and John Kasich during their respective campaigns.
“John Weaver led a secret life that was built on a basis of deception at all levels. He is a predator, a liar and an abuser. We extend our deepest condolences to those who have been targeted for his deplorable and predatory behavior,” Lincoln Project said on Sunday declaration. “We are disgusted and outraged that someone in a position of power and trust will use him for these means.”
“The totality of his mistakes is beyond anything that any of us could have imagined and we are absolutely shocked and disgusted by this,” the statement continued. “Like so many others, we were betrayed and deceived by John Weaver. We thank you in addition to the words that John Weaver was never in the physical presence of any member of the Lincoln Project.”
The Times The article detailed allegations of sexual misconduct by 21 men, each of whom received unsolicited messages from Weaver, via text or other digital interfaces, containing provocative or explicitly sexual advances. Some of the men were teenagers when the alleged harassment occurred and, in several cases, Weaver’s sexual offers offered career opportunities in return. The newspaper reviewed the accusers’ correspondence with Weaver before publishing Sunday’s report.
The sexual harassment charges against Weaver came up earlier this month, when individuals allegedly subjected to their misconduct appeared in two separate written reports – one published by The American Conservative magazine and a second released independently on Twitter. At the time, Weaver apologized for his “inappropriate” behavior, but described his interactions with the men involved as “consensual mutual conversations”. He also confirmed his decision not to return to the Lincoln Project, after a medical license granted last summer, in a statement shared with Axios.
Individuals in leadership positions at the Lincoln Project told the Times that they were aware of possible extramarital relationships on Weaver’s part before, but believed they were consensual. A spokesman for Kasich, who hired Weaver to serve as chief strategist for the 2016 presidential campaign, called the sexual harassment allegations unexpected in a statement responding to Sunday’s report. The former Ohio governor said his team was “extremely disappointed”.
YouTube / cunytv75
“These complaints took us by surprise, as we had not seen any evidence of this behavior while he was working with us,” says the statement, obtained by Cincinnati Inquirer. “While [Weaver] has not been with our organization for some time, we are extremely disappointed with what we have learned. “
Newsweek contacted the Lincoln Project for more information and comments, but received no response in time for publication. This story will be updated with any answer.