John Weaver: Lincoln Project calls co-founder 'predator' as 21 men accuse him of sending inappropriate messages
John Weaver, co-founder of the Lincoln Project and a prominent anti-Trump Republican political consultant, has been accused of cyber sexual harassment of at least 21 young men. Leaders of the project have publicly denounced the former presidential campaign adviser to the late Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
A report published by The New York Times revealed that Weaver sent non-consensual, sexually suggestive messages online to these men, often with offers of professional favors. On Sunday, January 31, The Lincoln Project officially released a statement condemning Weaver’s actions. The statement did not hold back on adjectives to condemn Weaver, calling him “a predator, a liar, and an abuser”. The Lincoln Project strongly-worded statement read: “We extend our deepest sympathies to those who were targeted by his deplorable and predatory behavior.” It also remarked that Weaver led a secret life built on deception at every level and that the organization was ‘grateful beyond words’ that Weaver was not in the physical presence of other Lincoln Project members at any time."
The Lincoln Project today released the following statement. pic.twitter.com/k9QkUsiFO5
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 31, 2021
Weaver had previously issued an apology statement on January 15 stating: “To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry. They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you.”
Who is John Weaver?
Weaver is best known for his work with the late senator McCain for his presidential campaigns of 2000 and 2008. He also worked as a chief strategist for Kasich for his 2016 presidential campaign. He was considered one of the closest aides of McCain alongside Mark Salter.
Hailing from Kermit, Texas, Weaver is an alumnus of Texas A&M University. He started his career as the executive director of the Republican Party of Texas, where he worked with politicians like Rick Perry, Phil Gramm, Tom Loeffler, and Bill Clements. During former president George HW Bush’s presidential campaigns of 1988 and 1992, Weaver worked as a Texas leader.
In 2004, Weaver appeared in a documentary ‘Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential’, where it was alleged that president George W Bush’s campaign manager Rove used racist propaganda to impair support for McCain. Weaver left the McCain campaign in July 2007 due to poor fundraising for several consecutive months.
In 2012, Weaver joined Jon Huntsman’s presidential campaign as a chief strategist. In 2015, he worked with Kasich’s prospective presidential campaign as a leading strategist.
Weaver is best known for his founding of The Lincoln Project in 2019 along with Republican operatives who were opposed to the re-election of Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. In the summer of 2020, Weaver took a leave of absence from the project on medical grounds, later declaring that he would not be returning. He is married and has two children.
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What is the Lincoln Project, how will the initiative be affected after founder George Conway's exit?
What are the sexual harassment allegations against Weaver?
The online sexual harassment allegations against Weaver surfaced in mid-January 2021 when several male survivors came forward with their accusations. It was reported by NYT that Weaver would often send such provocative messages with offers of employment or political leverage. In fact, one of the victims was reportedly underage when Weaver first messaged him.
The Times report found Weaver offered young men work and sent them suggestive messages in at least two cases on the pretext of discussing employment opportunities. In one instance, the report found Weaver told a young man interested in working for the group to “post a thirst trap” or send him a picture before inviting the young man to call him.
Later, in a statement given to Axios, Weaver accepted the accusations and admitted to sending inappropriate messages to these men. “The truth is that I'm gay and that I have a wife and two kids who I love. My inability to reconcile those two truths has led to this agonizing place,” he had said to the magazine.
In the same interview, he added that he was ‘truly sorry’ to the men whom he made uncomfortable through his messages. He said that he perceived those conversations are consensual at the time. “They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you,” he said, addressing his victims.
