Asset Managers Financially Backed Political Lincoln Project Soiled in Sexual Abuse Scandals
Posted on 02/13/2021
Coming to light post-election in the United States is the Lincoln Project. The Lincoln Project (uses Abraham Lincoln’s name) is a powerful political group run by former Republican campaign managers, which imploded over reports of key members protecting John Weaver, a co-founder of the political organization. John Weaver has been accused as being a sexual predator to employees and young men within the organization. Weaver was a long-time GOP operative, previously advising John McCain and John Kasich. Weaver was grooming young men and sometimes offered to help them get work in politics. 21 men came out accusing Weaver of his actions.
After getting caught, Weaver admitted his behavior was “inappropriate”. Steve Schmidt, a visible figure of the Lincoln Project, resigned from the organization he helped create. Famed lawyer George Conway, who argued the noteworthy securities litigation case Morrison v. National Australia Bank in the Supreme Court, was a part of the Lincoln Project. Conway has called for an independent investigation into the organization. Screenshots of access of former Lincoln Project employees were released without authorization in a method called doxing. Conway quickly pointed out to the Lincoln Project and publicly said, the move, “looks on its face to be a violation of federal law,” and urged the removal of the doxed messages.
Lincoln Project Top Donors of 2020
1. Senate Majority PAC – US$ 1.9 million.
2. Hedge fund Lone Pine Capital – US$ 1.0 million.
3. Nirvana Software – US$ 600,000.
4. Aberdeen Inc. – US$ 600,000.
5. David Geffen Co. – US$ 500,000.
6. Bain Capital (private equity) – US$ 326,000.
Source: Center for Responsive Politics. Donations from the Senate Majority PAC are from the group. The remaining donations are from individuals at each company.
Lone Pine Capital is owned by hedge fund billionaire Stephen Frank Mandel, Jr.
Jen Pritzker, a member of the wealthy and influential Pritzker family, is a donor to the Lincoln Project, as well as John Pritzker. The Pritzker’s have family offices. Jen and John each donated US$ 100,000 to the group in October 2020.
Other asset managers that were donors, which manage money for pensions and sovereign wealth funds include, Sequoia Capital partner Michael Moritz and Providence Equity Partners CEO Jonathan Nelson. Walmart heiress Christy Walton and venture capitalist Chris Sacca also donated as well. Joseph Edelman, CEO and portfolio manager of Perceptive Advisors, a New York-based hedge fund firm with $5 billion under management, also donated.
Abusive Language and Toxic Workplace
The 19th News org reported that the Lincoln Project used demeaning words for people. Correspondent Amanda Becker reported, “Young men were “wizards” while young women were “girls.” Political rivals were “pussies” or “cocksuckers” or “faggots.” By the time the staff convened in Park City, the situation had become so “toxic,” according to more than a dozen accounts, that at least two co-founders, neither of whom remain at the project, had tried unsuccessfully to intervene to improve working conditions.”
LINK: https://19thnews.org/2021/02/lincoln-project-toxic-workplace/
During the 2020 U.S. Presidential election, the Lincoln Project made its founders wealthy, as the organization raised over US$ 87 million. A good portion of those funds were sent to companies controlled by its several co-founders.
In the age of “MeToo”, which brought down Kevin Spacey and Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, the Lincoln Project made a number of its employees sign NDAs.
Which executives knew about Weaver’s sexual predation behavior? Did any donors know about it before donating?