Two former officials call on The Lincoln Project to close amid scandals
Fox News’ ‘Outnumbered’ panel reacts to The Lincoln Project facing calls from two former top officials to shut down over a growing list of scandals, including accusations the group ignored sexual harassment claims against co-founder John Weaver.
The Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt resurfaced Tuesday after two months out of the public eye for a friendly interview on the group's YouTube show, signaling the disgraced organization is not heeding calls to shut down.
"We're in a tough business, and it can be brutal, and Lincoln Project has had a tough couple of months at times, and we're going to be in this fight," Schmidt told LPTV's "The Breakdown." "We're going to be back fully operational in our attacks on the extremist, anti-democratic movement ... We're going to be on offense and we're going to take the fight to people who deserve to have the fight taken to them."
(MSNBC)
Despite calls by many, including Schmidt's fellow co-founder George Conway, to shut down after a humiliating series of reports detailing personal and financial corruption in the anti-Trump organization, The Lincoln Project has soldiered on with its brand of trolling tweets, vitriolic ads, and vicious attacks toward Republicans it deems an enemy of democracy.
Appearing to acknowledge the calls to dissolve, "The Breakdown" co-host Tara Setmayer, who once flirted with leaving the organization herself, said Tuesday the Lincoln Project "exists and continues to" as part of the mission to battle "Trumpism."
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The Lincoln Project was founded in 2019 by Schmidt and other anti-Trump Republicans and former Republicans, going on to raise nearly $90 million. It received extensive mainstream media attention and praise, although its truculent approach failed in key Senate races. MSNBC was an especially popular stomping ground for figures like Schmidt, co-founder Rick Wilson, and others.
However, the group began to founder earlier this year.
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Multiple reports emerged that Schmidt and his fellow co-founders knew about online sexual harassment complaints against co-founder John Weaver months before they claimed. Further investigations of self-dealing and financial skulduggery by the group followed, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., deriding The Lincoln Project as a "scam PAC" for soaking liberal donors. Still other reports painted a picture of a toxic work environment that included liberal use of homophobic and sexist language by its leaders.
Adding to the embarrassment, the Lincoln Project tweeted out private messages between Jennifer Horn, the group's only female co-founder, and a reporter after Horn resigned over Weaver's conduct. Kurt Bardella, a frequent MSNBC guest and former senior adviser to the group, later admitted to publishing the messasges and apologized.
Like Conway, Bardella has also called for The Lincoln Project to shut down, as has Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, a former avid supporter of the organization.
CALLS FOR LINCOLN PROJECT TO DISSOLVE CONTINUE WITH POLITICO COLUMN: 'SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD'
In his lengthy resignation letter, Schmidt railed against Weaver for his predatory behavior toward young, gay men. Schmidt recounted an instance of alleged inappropriate touching by a summer camp medic when he was 13 that purportedly left him with lifelong anger and depression issues.
Schmidt's post, which he titled "My Truth" on Twitter, didn't impress Tablet writer James Kirchick.
"From its founding, the Lincoln Project has been little more than a slickly produced grift aimed at parting gullible liberals from their money," Kirchick wrote. "Schmidt joined the operation after his previous political gravy train, the vanity presidential campaign of Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, dissolved like coffee grounds."
Schmidt was also derided for saying in February he would not open the Lincoln Project's financial books for audit until the Trump campaign and its affiliated super PACs did the same.
"We fully comply with the law," Schmidt said. "The Lincoln Project will be delighted to open its books for audit immediately after the Trump campaign and all affiliated super PACs do so, explaining the cash flow of the nearly $700 million that flowed through their organizations controlled by Brad Parscale and Jared Kushner."
After its wild financial success in 2020, The New York Times reported Schmidt and its other leaders had designs on creating a billion-dollar global media empire out of the Liincoln Project.
The Lincoln Project's downfall began with multiple reports that Weaver had sent sexually explicit messages to young, gay men, dangling job opportunities and social media clout. One man was 14 when Weaver first began to contact him, and by the time he was 18, Weaver also sent him inappropriate messages.
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Weaver was previously an aide to Republican presidential candidates John McCain and John Kasich, and sources told Fox News his behavior was an "open secret" for years.
One man who Weaver harassed told Fox News he went along with his overtures out of desperation for a job.
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