Even Never Trump stalwart Jennifer Rubin has abandoned the Lincoln Project, calling for the dissolution of the scandal-plagued group in a tweet posted Tuesday afternoon.
The Washington Post columnist joins a growing number of donors, vendors, and supporters who have cut ties with the Lincoln Project following reports of financial and sexual misconduct by the group's leadership.
The Senate Majority PAC, which gave $550,000 to the Lincoln Project in 2020, announced Friday that it will not work with the group going forward. On Tuesday, Gideon Sa'ar, an Israeli candidate for prime minister, said he would sever ties with the group.
The Lincoln Project has faced criticism from friends and opponents alike following a wave of reports detailing how cofounder John Weaver used his position to prey on young men. The group has also come under fire for funneling tens of millions of donor dollars to firms linked to its cofounders.
The group may run into further donor trouble. CNBC reports that some of the group's wealthy financiers may soon cut off their donations. Anedot, the company that the Lincoln Project hired to collect small-dollar donations, has also separated itself from the group, which has since removed its fundraising page.
Faced with multiple scandals, the Lincoln Project tapped the Paul Hastings law firm to conduct a review of its "operations and culture." It quickly came to light that multiple partners at Paul Hastings donated to the Lincoln Project during the 2020 election cycle. Greg Nitzkowski, the firm's managing partner, donated $3,000. Elena Baca, chairwoman of the firm's employment law department, contributed nearly $2,000.
The Lincoln Project pulled in a whopping $87 million during the 2020 cycle. Majority Forward, the Chuck Schumer-aligned dark money nonprofit, gave the group $1.35 million. Democratic donors Gordon Getty and Stephen Mandel each wrote the Lincoln Project $1 million checks.
The Sixteen Thirty Fund, a dark money nonprofit incubator, passed $300,000 to the group. Dozens of individuals also provided between $50,000 and $100,000 contributions. As a super PAC, the Lincoln Project can collect an unlimited amount of money from donors.
The Washington Free Beacon sent inquiries to 20 of the Lincoln Project's top donors asking if they would ask for refunds and/or continue bankrolling the group. None has responded to the inquiries after 48 hours.
Weaver's predatory behavior was first reported by the American Conservative. Subsequent reports have shown that Lincoln Project leadership was aware of Weaver's actions before the story came to light.