The Lincoln Project, a group formed just over a year ago by a band of anti-Trump Republicans, is facing calls to close amid allegations of a toxic and abusive culture in the organization.
So far, two former senior Lincoln Project officials have supported the idea of terminating the group, including one of its co-founders, George Conway
George ConwayGeorge Conway calls for a full investigation of the Lincoln Project: ‘The lie has to stop’ Claudia Conway moves forward on ‘American Idol’, parents Kellyanne, George appear The quick death of the media darlings known as the Lincoln Project MORE, who moved away from the project last summer. Kurt Bardella, who left his position as senior advisor to the Lincoln Project last week, also called for the group to be closed.
“Just hang up already … it’s over,” he tweeted on Tuesday. Reached by The Hill on Wednesday, Bardella said his tweet speaks for itself and declined to comment further.
Conway echoed that sentiment, writing in his own tweet that Bardella “is right” in his statement that it is time to close the Lincoln Project.
“It is a pity and we should not forget the hard work of so many people and the positive things that the organization has done, but yes, I think that is right,” wrote Conway.
The group also hired a law firm, Paul Hastings, to “investigate allegations of inappropriate behavior” by another of its co-founders, John Weaver, who was accused of harassing several young people online. These allegations were first reported last month by The New York Times.
Since then, the Lincoln Project’s problems have only worsened. Claims emerged that the group’s leaders knew about Weaver’s behavior much earlier than they let on publicly.
Meanwhile, eight former employees and associates signed an open letter asking for their confidentiality agreements to be released, a move that would allow them to speak publicly about their experiences in the group. The Lincoln Project said that those who wish to be released from their NDAs should contact the group directly.
At the same time, Jennifer Horn, the only woman among Lincoln Project’s co-founders, resigned earlier this month amid contract negotiations. In a statement released last week, Horn said the group’s leadership had “totally rejected” its requirement that “address the Weaver issue publicly and issue a call to action to address issues of sexual harassment and imbalance / exploitation of power” .
Horn also said that she had recently learned from Weaver’s victims that her interactions with him began “almost a year ago” and that those interactions were “communicated to others at the Lincoln Project”. Steve Schmidt, another co-founder of the Lincoln Project, said he was not aware of the charges against Weaver until January.
“I was genuinely shocked,” said Horn. “These are not my stories to tell, but I knew at that moment that ‘The Lincoln Project’ would have the opportunity to take a stand and do better.”
Horn did not respond on Wednesday to an interview request. But she retweeted Conway’s message that the Lincoln Project should be closed amid the scandal.
The Lincoln Project did not respond to The Hill’s questions about requests for closure. The group said in a previous statement that recent news about its internal problems was riddled with “inaccuracies”, but acknowledged that Weaver’s conduct would have to be addressed.
“The recently published stories about the Lincoln Project are full of inaccuracies, incorrect information and depend solely on anonymous sources,” said the statement. “However, there is a central truth in all of them that must be taken into account: John Weaver’s terrible conduct and the abuse he inflicted on people.”
Weaver is no longer at the Lincoln Project. He had been on sick leave since August and announced last month that he would not be returning.
The group also released its own account of Horn’s departure, claiming that she resigned after the Lincoln Project board rejected its contractual requirements, including “an immediate $ 250,000 ‘signing bonus’ payment and a $ 40,000 consulting contract per month, “as well as” a seat on the Lincoln Project board, a television program, a podcast hosting assignment and a team to manage these ventures. “
Horn, in a statement, said Project Lincoln’s account of her departure was “patently false” and accused the group of launching “a direct attack” on her character.
The recent wave of controversies at the Lincoln Project underscores the group’s remarkable fall after emerging as a political force in 2020.
Formed in December 2019 by a group of current and former Republicans anti-Trump, the Lincoln Project quickly established itself as the main group of the Republican Party opposed to the former President Trump
Donald Trump’s federal prosecutors investigated the Proud Boys’ connections to Roger Stone in 2019 case: CNN Overnight Defense: One-third of the military refuses coronary virus vaccine Biden to take executive action in response to the Solar Winds hack | US and Japan reach cost-sharing agreement Trump ‘won’t say yet’ if he’s competing in 2024 MORE and the lawmakers who allied with him.
He raised more than $ 87 million during the 2020 election cycle and spent nearly $ 82 million, mostly on expansive and flashy advertising campaigns that took on what the group believed to be Republican Party Trump corruption and conservatism. Sometimes these ads plunged into personal attacks that excited many Trump critics and angered his allies.
The Lincoln Project, however, faced some questions about its finances. Throughout the 2020 cycle, the group directed tens of millions of dollars to companies managed by its co-founders.
Summit Strategic Communications, a company owned by Lincoln Project co-founder Reed Galen, received about $ 27.5 million from the group as of January, primarily for independent expenses. Likewise, it paid Tusk Digital, a company run by another Lincoln Project co-founder, Ron Steslow, over $ 22 million.
Despite all its spending in 2020, the Lincoln Project still has a considerable amount of money in the bank – about $ 5.5 million, according to his most recent records with the Federal Electoral Commission.
The group is starting the year deeply fragmented and facing increasingly bleak prospects.
Anedot, the company that processed online donations to the Lincoln Project, closed the group’s account. In a statement to CNBC, Anedot said that its decision to cut ties with the Lincoln Project was prompted by certain unspecified “incidents”. Lincoln Project’s online fundraising portal has been offline for days.
The group’s founders have also moved away in recent months. Of the eight members who founded the Lincoln Project just over a year ago, only three remain: Schmidt, Galen and Rick Wilson.
Schmidt announced on Friday that he resigned from his position on the organization’s board “to make room for the appointment of a councilor as the first step in reforming and professionalizing the Lincoln Project.”
“The Lincoln Project was built to fight,” said Schmidt in a statement. “It is my deepest hope that, despite the recent internal events that have deviated from our cause, you trust us to continue to fight for what the entire Lincoln Project movement believes in: fighting the growing wave of fascism and authoritarianism in this country.
“We are in an election to see the end of American democracy. This fight will continue for the rest of my life. “