The ex-wife of Steve Schmidt, the disgraced Lincoln Project cofounder, has asked a Utah court to hold the liberal political operative in contempt of court for his failure to fork over money she claims he owes her, including for her interest in a membership at one of the priciest private clubs in the country, according to documents reviewed by the Washington Free Beacon.
A court order filed on Nov. 7, 2022, reveals that lawyers for Schmidt’s ex-wife, Angela Schmidt, say that the man who reportedly talked of turning the anti-Trump Lincoln Project into a vehicle for "generational wealth" owes her for her part of a membership at the Glenwild Golf Club in Park City, Utah, which boasts that it is "as exclusive as it is desirable" and at one point counted Michael Jordan as a member.
Angela Schmidt also says her ex-husband owes her $84,000 for "mortgage payments Stephen has failed to pay," and at least $50,000 for "$10,000 monthly payments Stephen has failed to pay Angela." Her attorneys want Schmidt to be held in contempt of court for his alleged failure to comply with his court-ordered obligations and for the court to slap him with a "sentence of up to 30 days in jail for each contempt charge pursuant to Utah Code 78B-6-310." The court ordered Steve Schmidt to appear later this month on Nov. 29 for a hearing on her claims.
Schmidt’s finances have been under the microscope since news reports revealed that he and other officials at the Lincoln Project were using the millions of dollars the group raised from anti-Trump donors to enrich themselves. During his time with the Lincoln Project, Schmidt purchased a $1.4 million mansion in Utah, according to the Associated Press. The five bedroom, seven bath home is located near the Glenwild Golf Club, which, according to a website for golf enthusiasts, has an initiation fee of $200,000 and annual dues of $18,800. The club did not respond to an inquiry regarding the status of Steve Schmidt’s membership.
The court filing came just days before the Daily Caller reported that Angela Schmidt had, in mid-August, filed for a temporary restraining order against Schmidt, who vehemently denied the report and threatened to sue the outlet for defamation. Court documents reviewed by the Free Beacon show that Angela Schmidt did indeed ask the court for a restraining order on Aug. 15, 2022. "The Commissioner has reviewed Angela’s Ex Parte Application for Temporary Restraining Order," the court wrote the next day. "It is appropriate for the documents to be served upon Stephen or his counsel."
Court documents reviewed by the Free Beacon do not indicate how the court resolved her request, but the case docket shows that Steve Schmidt opposed it a week later. A lawyer for Steve Schmidt told the Free Beacon that the court denied the restraining order application on Aug. 30, 2022.
Reached for comment, Steve Schmidt responded with an expletive-laden rant and threatened legal action. "Fuck you," Schmidt said in a text message. "You print your defamatory bullshit and I’ll have the lawyers take care of business."
In his public legal threats against the Daily Caller, Schmidt has said he doesn’t care how much money filing a defamation suit would cost him. "I don’t give a f$&@ how much this costs," he said. "I would rather live broke with my family in a tent."
Neither Schmidt nor his attorney responded to an inquiry about whether he has met his financial obligations to Angela Schmidt. Lawyers for Angela Schmidt did not respond to a request for comment.