NEW: A deep dive on the Lincoln Project's finances and its handling of John Weaver's harassment of young men, from me, @dannyhakim, and @Jo_Becker. nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
Some key points:
- The 4 main founders of TLP had private financial agreements that other leaders didn't know about for some time.
- Nearly 1/3 of TLP's fundraising went to a firm run by one of the founders, from which the 4 were paid (unclear how much) nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
- The 4 main founders of TLP had private financial agreements that other leaders didn't know about for some time.
- Nearly 1/3 of TLP's fundraising went to a firm run by one of the founders, from which the 4 were paid (unclear how much) nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
- Some TLP officials were informed of Weaver's harassment as early as last January. Leaders received multiple warnings last year but kept Weaver on board, even as a board member tried to persuade them to push him out. nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
- The most detailed warning came in an email in June. We obtained a large part of the email. Here's the first paragraph: nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/… 
The email went on to describe multiple allegations, including what it called a “bait-and-switch situation” around 2015 in which Weaver offered to discuss a political job with a young man, then tried to bring him to his hotel room instead. nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
After receiving this email, TLP opened an internal review of Weaver's conduct, but it was very limited. Former executive director Sarah Lenti said that to her knowledge, only two people were contacted. Weaver went on med leave but remained involved. nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
The 4 main founders had viewed the board of directors as an afterthought, but post-election, 2 of them wanted to get on it to cement control. Two board members — Mike Madrid and Ron Steslow (who had tried to get rid of Weaver) — pushed back. nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
The 3 main founders besides Weaver — Reed Galen, Steve Schmidt, and Rick Wilson — then set up a new entity called Lincoln Project 2024 and moved millions of $ from TLP into companies they controlled, which would have left TLP a hollowed-out shell nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
Ultimately, George Conway mediated. Galen, Schmidt, and Wilson returned the money to TLP. Schmidt and Wilson got seats on the board. Madrid and Steslow reached a settlement and left the organization in December under NDAs. nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
Galen, Schmidt, Wilson, and other leaders say they will keep the organization going as a media campaign against authoritarianism. Whether donors stick around remains to be seen.
I hope you'll read the full story: nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
I hope you'll read the full story: nytimes.com/2021/03/08/us/…
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