Lincoln Project co-founder resigns

Lachlan Markay
Axios
Sat, 13 Feb 2021 00:00 UTC

© Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt is resigning from the group's board amid a series of scandals that has rocked the high-dollar anti-Trump super PAC, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Schmidt, a veteran Republican operative, is the latest and most high-profile departure from the group, which is reeling from revelations that another co-founder, John Weaver, used offers of professional advancement in a series of attempts to solicit sex from young men.

Background: Schmidt's resignation comes amid a wave of damaging stories for the Lincoln Project.

• The New York Times reported last month on allegations from 21 men that Weaver sent them unsolicited and sexually charged messages. One was 14 years old at the time, according to the report.
• Multiple people have reportedly been contacted by federal law enforcement regarding the alleged conduct. The Lincoln Project said it has hired an external law firm to conduct an investigation into the matter.
• The AP reported that the majority of the $90 million that the Lincoln Project has raised was paid to consulting firms tied to the group's founders and senior staff.
• On Thursday, the group's official Twitter account tweeted screenshots of messages between a former senior staffer and a reporter writing a story on the group. Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway suggested the disclosures may have been illegal.

That series of controversies led to a number of resignations from the group this week.

• Lincoln Project spokesperson Kurt Bardella confirmed to Axios that he also resigned from the group Friday.
• Nayyera Haq, who signed on to host a video series for the group this week, also resigned on Friday.
• Columnist Tom Nichols said on Friday he was "stepping down as an unpaid advisor."

Comment: Schmidt exits with mea culpas:

Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt resigned from the embattled anti-Trump organization Friday night, claiming he did so to

"make room for the appointment of a female board member as the first step to reform and professionalize the Lincoln Project. Presently, the Lincoln Project is made up of four middle-aged white men. That composition does not reflect our nation, nor our movement. I am resigning my seat on the Lincoln Project board to make room for the appointment of a female board member as the first step to reform and professionalize the Lincoln Project.

"My purpose in writing this isn't to express what and when I knew about John Weaver, but how I feel about him, what he did and how many people he hurt. This is my truth. John Weaver has put me back into that faraway cabin with Ray, my Boy Scout leader. I am incandescently angry about it. I am angry because I know the damage that he caused to me, and I know the journey that lies ahead of every young man that trusted, feared and was abused by John Weaver."

While Schmidt said he is "enormously proud of the Lincoln Project," he offered an apology to co-founder Jennifer Horn, who resigned from the group last week, over the public dispute that was launched. He called her

"an important and valuable member of our team. She deserved better from me. She deserved a leader who could restrain his anger. I am sorry for my failure. Private messages should never have been made public.

"For me, it's time to step back from the front - to get healthy mentally, physically, and spiritually. Stay strong, There is much work to be done."

Besides Lincoln Project advisers Tom Nichols and Kurt Bardella, as well as LPTV host Nayyera Haq stepping away from the organization, fellow adviser and LPTV host Tara Setmayer also indicated her potential exit on Twitter. In addition, CNBC reported Friday that top megadonors are considering abandoning the group.

Last week, co-founder Jennifer Horn announced her resignation, which sparked a public spat between her and the group. Late Thursday, the Lincoln Project allegedly published private Twitter messages Horn sent to a reporter. Those tweets were later removed after co-founder George Conway, who left the group in August, warned that its actions may have broken federal law.

See also:

• Washington cesspool: New report alleges Lincoln Project founders were 'warned' about John Weaver's predatory behavior
• Lincoln Project co-founder John Weaver accused of 'grooming' young men, offering jobs for sex
• Ryan Girdusky: Lincoln Project is part grift, part grooming operation for John Weaver
• MSNBC did not ask Lincoln Project founders about John Weaver allegations despite booking them 17 times after the story first broke