'They were covering their own a**es': AP investigation of the Lincoln Project is DEVASTATING

The Associated Press is out with a new story on the Lincoln Project and it’s simply devastating to the anti-Trump group.

First up, emails reviewed by the AP show that management knew about “at least 10 specific allegations of harassment against co-founder John Weaver:

“In June 2020, members of the Lincoln Project’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.”https://t.co/oUzC58L6U3

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) February 11, 2021

This included two allegations FROM EMPLOYEES:

Two of the people who accused the Lincoln Project's John Weaver of sexual harassment were Lincoln Project employees, per @AP.

One was an intern who was finishing law school, and the other a communications staffer. https://t.co/AEF2iO5KAU

— Mike Brest (@MikeBrestDC) February 11, 2021

“They were covering their own a**es”:

Here’s the proof that @TheRickWilson, @SteveSchmidtSES, and @gtconway3d looked into cameras and lied to you for weeks.

They were covering their own asses because they covered up for their sexual predator partner and co-founder. https://t.co/ReqpViMpdU

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) February 11, 2021

And “not Steve Schmidt’s *carefully* worded statement” on it:

Note Steve Schmidt's *carefully* worded statement:

"No LP employee, intern, or contractors ever made an allegation of inappropriate communication about John Weaver that would have triggered an investigation by HR or by an outside employment counsel."https://t.co/lIMUKsOFlS

— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) February 11, 2021

Recommended

'A Professional News Organization': CNN Can't Even Honor Dolly Parton Without Screwing Up

Grateful Calvin

Advertisement

You think?

“taken together, the harassment allegations and new revelations about spending practices raise significant questions about the management of one of the highest-profile antagonists of Trump.” –@AP on @ProjectLincoln https://t.co/FIeZxwvrw8

— Zac Mabry (@ZacMabry) February 11, 2021

Oh, but there’s more!

The AP also looked into the group’s finances, finding that $50 million of the $90 million raised “has gone to firms controlled by the group’s leaders”:

"Of the $90 million Lincoln Project has raised, more than $50 million has gone to firms controlled by the group’s leaders." via @BrianSlodysko @Sppeoples https://t.co/TjduuSpnh4

— Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) February 11, 2021

And these payments “extended a lifeline to some founders who have spent much of the past decade under financial distress”:

AP: “The unexpected success of the Lincoln Project has extended a lifeline to some founders who have spent much of the past decade under financial distress.” https://t.co/HYGRJ8ueUr

— Josh Kraushaar (@HotlineJosh) February 11, 2021

Wait. Jeff Weaver owned a children’s boutique? From the AP:

Over the past decade, Weaver has repeatedly failed to pay taxes, defaulted on loans and faced lawsuits from creditors seeking to collect. In October, he paid off $313,000 in back taxes owed to the IRS dating back to 2011, records show. A separate case in Texas is still pending over $340,000 back rent his family owes after shuttering a children’s boutique they operated, records show.

“Hats off to these grifters – except for the part about lying to protect the pedo, of course”:

A cool $63 million in cash unaccounted for. It's a lot more lucrative, and less dangerous, than walking in and robbing a bank. Hats off to these grifters – except for the part about lying to protect the pedo, of course.https://t.co/IPaMSNHE4h

— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) February 11, 2021

Even worse, the AP compared them to Donald Trump as they’ve hidden how much they’ve paid themselves:

From @AP: 'The Lincoln Project adopted a strategy, much like the Trump campaign they criticized, to mask how much money they earned.' https://t.co/5nscW9FmQF pic.twitter.com/Bf3fzwsJvk

— Byron York (@ByronYork) February 11, 2021

And this does raise some serious questions on all those “puff pieces” on the group last summer because none of the stuff on their finances is new:

This AP story makes all those puff pieces about the Lincoln Project from last summer (the New Yorker, 60 Minutes, etc) look even worse than they did when they came out. https://t.co/lyv12PhANh

— Jason Zengerle (@zengerle) February 11, 2021

But “principles or something”:

In June of last year. JUNE. and it never leaked. So maybe let's not pretend the press didn't hear about this also but ignored it because principles or something. https://t.co/szCfzBYo1H pic.twitter.com/wlTTHTrxyG

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 11, 2021

***