21 men have accused anti-Trump Lincoln Project co-founder John Weaver of sending them unsolicited and sexually provocative messages, and now the Associated Press reports the organization may have been aware of the situation.
In June 2020, members of the organization’s leadership were informed in writing and in subsequent phone calls of at least 10 specific allegations of harassment against co-founder John Weaver, including two involving Lincoln Project employees, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the situation. The email and phone calls raise questions about the Lincoln Project’s statement last month that it was “shocked” when accusations surfaced publicly this year. It’s also the first known suggestion that Weaver targeted a Lincoln Project staffer.
Despite the early warning, the group took no action against Weaver and pressed forward with its high-profile work.
The New York Times recently dropped a disturbing report featuring the accounts of nearly two dozen men who claim Weaver of sent them “unsolicited and sexually provocative messages,” with one saying he was 14 years old when he was first contacted.
The Lincoln Group raised tens of millions of dollars, issuing a series of anti-Trump ads during the presidential election.
But as money flowed into the group, multiple people with direct knowledge said allegations against Weaver were repeatedly raised inside the organization, long before leaders acknowledged them publicly in late January.
Journalist Ryan Girdusky told The Hill that the accusations against Weaver were well known to many in Washington, D.C.
“It was probably close to 100 young men in a five-year period,” Girdusky said. “This is not a small group, this is not like he was trying to hide what was going on, and it was very much in plain sight for everyone to see,” he said.