The 19th published a report on Tuesday pointing to additional information that top personnel at the Lincoln Project, including Steve Schmidt, knew about the sexual harassment allegations against co-founder John Weaver as early as March 2020.
The 19th’s Washington correspondent Amanda Becker writes:
Some of the individuals came forward with new details on Monday after they were released from their nondisclosure agreements. Several said Sarah Lenti, a managing partner with the group who was previously its executive director, knew about the allegations against Weaver as early as May 2020. Lenti confirmed that some of the group’s co-founders knew about the allegations as early as March 2020. Schmidt and Galen were among those who knew, multiple sources said.
Weaver resigned from the organization in January. The FBI, with the assistance of unidentified sources who contacted the bureau, is reportedly investigating allegations that Weaver “requested sexually explicit material,” and “ever touched them inappropriately.”
On Monday, the Lincoln Project released a statement that it had hired an outside law firm and also released employees from nondisclosure agreements that barred them from publicly discussing matters related to Weaver.
Schmidt resigned from the Lincoln Project board on Friday, claiming he “said on the record that I learned about Weaver’s misconduct this past January.” Schmidt admitted it was he who went on a tirade on the Lincoln Project’s Twitter account, inappropriately posting confidential communications with co-founder Jennifer Horn.
Steve Schmidt’s full statement, given to me:
1/3 pic.twitter.com/wWPNMIApYg— Miranda Green (@mirandacgreen) February 12, 2021
“In June 2020, members of the organization’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, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the situation,” the Associated Press reported last week.
The Senate Majority PAC announced this past Friday it will no longer fund the Lincoln Project, having donated approximately $2 million in the 2020 election cycle. As reported by the Jerusalem Post, prime minister candidate Gideon Sa’ar of Israel cut ties with Lincoln Project personnel Schmidt, Stuart Stevens, Rick Wilson, and Reed Galen, after hiring them in January as U.S. advisers.
Two weeks ago, the Lincoln Project split ways with Horn, who was seeking a $250,000 signing bonus and $40,000 per month in consulting fees. “John Weaver’s grotesque and inappropriate behavior, coupled with his longstanding deceptions concerning that behavior, are sickening,” Horn expressed in a statement to the New York Times.
