The Lincoln Project has had a rough couple of weeks. One of its co-founders, John Weaver, was accused of sexual harassment of young men and the Project attacked him as a sexual predator. As co-founders like George Conway denied any real familiarity or interaction with Weaver, others accused of the Project of turning a blind eye to his conduct. Then one of its other co-founders, Jennifer Horn, resigned in protest only to be attacked by other Project members as allegedly trying to get more money out of the organization. Now, the Lincoln Project is having serious questions raised over its compensation for co-founders and an accounting for tens of millions of dollars that may have gone to them or their own firms. Lincoln famously declared “with malice toward none, with charity for all,” but the Lincoln Project is accused of malice towards many but charity for a few.
As we recently discussed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called for liberals to start to assemble enemy lists of people who were “complicit” in the Trump Administration and the first entry was . . . you guessed it … founders the Lincoln Project. When asked about AOC’s call for a black list, Sanders surrogate Nomiki Konst noted that the first on the list would be people like the former Republicans in the Lincoln Project. She said that those people like George Conway are the “perfect examples” of people to be cancelled. They were accused of banking millions as former Republicans against Trump.
The latest controversy comes after an Associated Press story that the Project was able to raise over $90 million but only spent a third of that ($27 million) on advertisements during the 2020 campaign. The AP noted “That leaves tens of millions of dollars that went toward expenses like production costs, overhead — and exorbitant consulting fees collected by members of the group.” It also suggested that the Project was using tactics to hide the money trial and spending decisions. Reporters Steve Peoples and Brian Slodysko said that “[t]he vast majority of the cash was split among consulting firms controlled by its founders, including about $27 million paid to a small firm controlled by Galen and another $21 million paid to a boutique firm run by former Lincoln Project member Ron Steslow, campaign finance disclosures show.”
I have been critical of some of the Lincoln Project commercials and advertisements. However, my main objection was its role in harassing and even doxxing lawyers who represented the Trump campaign or the Republican party. That effort was funded by thousands of lawyers as well as Democratic donors.
At first, I thought the Lincoln Project could serve a useful role in establishing a Republican opposition base to Trump and add greater diversity in the party. Instead, it adopted increasingly juvenile and vicious ads that seemed to pander to the lowest common denominator in politics. This week the Lincoln Project ad features a chicken and taunts Trump for declining to testify despite the fact that presidents traditionally have not testified and such a decision should not be treated as evidence of guilt. Yet, such commercials play well to donors and bring in more money. The question is whether the windfall of money was the byproduct or the purpose of the Project’s founding.
The AP story suggests that the Project has used accounting systems that make it difficult to track payments. The Project can easily make this all transparent. While no one is going to run ads showing the founders juxtaposed with chickens, a few donors may want to know if the founders enriched themselves and their firms as part of the 2020 campaign.
After all, as Lincoln himself said, “you cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”
Grifters gonna grift. If these people were honest, they’d be in some other line of work.
As for John Weaver, he’s a married man with children who has been addled by homosexual (and, to some degree, pederastic) inclinations for decades and this was known in his professional circles. He likely should have stayed away from women after his divorce in 1999 because he’s been unable for more than 30 years to keep it in his pants in re men. That one of the people he was texting was 14 years old might be of interest to the law (contingent on what he said to said youth and contingent on whether or not he knew the youth’s age). That a man between the age of 55 and 62 was hitting on males around age 20 is gross, but it’s not consequential in evaluating the Lincoln Project. Every aspect of the Lincoln Project as a civic endeavour (snicker) was condemnable.
Why do Morning Joe and CNN keep having these losers on?
When I read the Lincoln quote I had to repress a sneer. Professor, you’ve got to be kidding. You are all about Republicans and Trump avoiding accountability.
He’s doing it to mess with you and your comrades. It’s so fun to watch.
Justice Holmes proudly counts himself as among those lovely progressives who give a get out jail free card to felon supervisors who harass and rape their male subordinates, as long as the rapists officially registers as a card-carrying “ORANGE MAN” HATER!
It’s all good virtue signaling among the scum of the earth like Justice..
Didn’t I tell you that Turley would not touch commenting on Sartmatic’s 2.7 Billion dollar defamation lawsuit against his employer Trump TV. It’s sad that he has become so partisan and ignores the lies broadcast from his network. Last night he appeared on Hannity’s program. Just once, I would love to ask Turley whether he would appear with Alex Jones. I am curious whether he has any self-respect at all.
You are curious? And do tell us, if Turley appeared on Maddow or ‘Stop the Hammering!’ O’Donnell, would you also be “curious whether he has any self respect at all”? Or does your judgment only apply to right-leaning Fox shows?
What’s wrong with going on Alex Jones?
I ignore anonymous people who are too chicken to put their name to their remarks
Okay, then. I shall find a way to carry on.
It’s sad that he has become so partisan and ignores the lies broadcast from his network.
I’ve been following this blog for nearly 10 years. It’s not he that has moved in ideology, but rather ideologies have moved around him. If you’re seeing him becoming so partisan, you’d do well to examine your own position before passing judgment on his.
Silberman: another tribesman/registered progressive Demonkrap who celebrates senior aged wealthy supervisors bedding and sexually harassing their work subordinates…….as long as the felon registers first as an official card-carrying “ENEMY OF ORANGE MAN!!!”
Just another day at the office for virtue signalers like Silby.
“[t]he vast majority of the cash was split among consulting firms controlled by its founders, including about $27 million paid to a small firm controlled by Galen and another $21 million paid to a boutique firm run by former Lincoln Project member Ron Steslow, campaign finance disclosures show”
Washing funds through a 501(c) to the businesses of the 501(c) executives is not only not unusual, but customary. The IRS Code 501(c) serves as a sham and a scam, and the reason for the majority of the hundreds of thousands of 501(c)’s.
“I have been critical of some of the Lincoln Project commercials and advertisements. However, my main objection was its role in harassing and even doxxing lawyers who represented the Trump campaign or the Republican party. That effort was funded by thousands of lawyers as well as Democratic donors.”
This has always been clear, JT. And the reason for it is equally clear.
This should provide fertile ground for you going forward. Party on.
Elvis Bug
Hey Elvis, has Turley ever commented on Trump’s Big Lie scam in which he raised 250 mil? I don’t think so, but correct me if I am wrong. It would hardly surprise me if he has not, for he has yet to acknowledge Trump’s Big Lie ostensibly because his employer broadcasted it and is being sued for doing so. He knows he had better keep his mouth shut about it if he knows what is good for him.
Funny thing, Jeffrey…, I seem to have missed out on JT’s commentary about the fraudulent fund raising off the big lie. Or for the first official act of trump’s presidency being to steal $50 million from his inauguration fund. Or the kick backs from private prison interests.
Elvis Bug
Please Elvis, continue donating to old mentally deranged men who troll for sex and rape young subordinates at work. BUT DO MAKE SURE FIRST THEIR MONTHLY DUES ARE PAID UP IN THE “ORANGE MAN BAD!” group of virtue signaler friends of yours!
I can’t help but feel a little glee for all the lefties fleeced because of their hatred of Trump.
The people at the LP project saw them coming and took thoae TDS sufferers for the mother of all screwings.
What happens when you don’t think.