Lincoln Project's Steve Schmidt ripped by media for refusing to open books for audit
Reporter: 'I though the very essence of the Lincoln Project was that they held themselves to a higher standard than Donald Trump'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As the Lincoln Project continues to have a public meltdown over its handling of the John Weaver harassment scandal, one of the group's co-founders is coming under fire from the media for dubious financial ethics.
Steve Schmidt, the bombastic former Republican strategist and a face of the anti-Trump group, told the Associated Press the Lincoln Project would open its books for audit as soon as the Trump campaign did so as well.
"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."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LINCOLN PROJECT FACES FIERCE BACKLASH, ACCUSED OF PUBLISHING PRIVATE MESSAGES OF EX-MEMBER
In addition to its suspected cover-up of Weaver's predatory behavior toward young, gay men, the Lincoln Project has come under criticism for funneling more than half of its $90 million in donations to firms controlled by its leaders. Even Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., dismissed it last year as in "scam" territory."
Reporters hammered Schmidt over his remark.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The Lincoln Project promises transparency only if the Trump campaign is transparent? Why?" New York Times reporter Shane Goldmacher wrote.
"This is one version of normalizing low standards of conduct," New York Times reporter Alex Burns wrote. "If you think you should only be held to the same standards as the ones a political rival whom you view as a moral abomination sets for himself ... well, I guess I don't know about that."
LINCOLN PROJECT ONLY SPOKE UP WHEN IT COULDN'T AVOID STORY ANYMORE: AUTHOR
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I though the very essence of the Lincoln Project was that they held themselves to a higher standard than Donald Trump and Trump's enablers in the GOP," The Guardian's Ben Jacobs wrote.
The organization appears to be in freefall after a series of reports on Weaver's predatory online behavior. In a story first broken by Ryan Girdusky for the American Conservative, Weaver for years sent sexual messages to men and dangled employment opportunities and social media clout.
Weaver came out as gay to Axios last month and apologized for his behavior, and Lincoln Project co-founders denied knowlege of his conduct.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}However, after the New York Times reported among his harassment victims was a 14-year-old, the group condemned Weaver as a liar and predator. Fox News then reported the higher-ups were aware of a media investigation into his conduct last summer, New York Magazine reported Thursday that they were warned about Weaver and knew about multiple allegations of misconduct.
Co-founder Jennifer Horn exited the organization last week over Weaver's conduct, although the Lincoln Project claimed it was because she had demanded too much money to continue working there.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Then on Thursday, the group came under further criticism after tweeting out what appeared to be an exchange Horn had with 19th News correspondent Amanda Becker. Former Lincoln Project leader George Conway denounced the group's conduct.