Lincoln Project must address claim leaders knew of harassment allegations earlier: ex-employees
Anti-Trump group says it will 'continue producing and distributing our popular content'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former employees and associates of the Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group, demanded answers from the group's co-founders after claims that Lincoln Project leaders knew about sexual harassment allegations against co-founder John Weaver as early as March 2020.
"We demand a statement from Rick Wilson, Reed Galen, and Steve Schmidt confirming or rebutting this morning's allegation," the former Lincoln Project associates said in a statement. "Earlier this morning, TLP released an ad calling out the hypocrisy of GOP Senators. If they have time to do that, they have time to answer these questions: Did The Lincoln Project know in March 2020? Did Steve Schmidt lie in his recent statement that he was only aware in January 2021?"
SECOND MINOR ACCUSES LINCOLN PROJECT CO-FOUNDER OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT, AUTHOR SAYS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Weaver is accused of sexually harassing more than 20 men.
"If The Lincoln Project's leadership knew Weaver was a serial predator in March, but continued to place interns recommended by Weaver in the Spring and Summer, TLP knowingly put some of us and our LGBT colleagues in immediate danger," the former Lincoln Project associates' statement continued.
In this Jan. 20, 2016 file photo, John Weaver is shown on a campaign bus in Bow, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Weaver withdrew from the group for medical reasons in the summer of 2020.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Lincoln Project said Monday that it will be moving forward with its work after several members, including co-founders Jennifer Horn and Steve Schmidt, resigned amid the fallout over Weaver.
"The Lincoln Project will continue producing and distributing our popular content and commentary while these reviews are being conducted and we are operating at full capacity," the group said in a statement.
THE LINCOLN PROJECT'S SPECTACULAR DOWNFALL: A TIMELINE
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Those "reviews" refer not just to the investigation into the allegations that Weaver sent sexually charged messages to more than 20 young men – including former Lincoln Project employees. The Lincoln Project's statement said it has also brought in outside counsel and consultants "to strengthen our corporate governance, finance and operational structure, human resources, and leadership to position The Lincoln Project to further maximize our impact and lean into our important mission advancing democracy."
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In addition to what critics describe as shady financial dealings, the Lincoln Project may have also landed in legal trouble after it published private Twitter messages between Horn and a reporter, something co-founder George Conway suggested may have been in violation of federal law. Conway left the group in August.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News' inquiry to the Lincoln Project was not immediately returned.
Fox News' Gillian Turner, James Levinson, Ronn Blitzer and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.