21 men accuse Lincoln Project cofounder John Weaver of making “sexual overtures” towards them

Karl Rove On Disgraced Lincoln Project Founder John Weaver: I’ve ‘Known About This Pattern Of Behavior Since 1988’

Update: In an article in The Atlantic in 2004 it was mentioned that Karl Rove had “spread a rumor that Weaver had made a pass at a young man at a state Republican function“. Rove has now been proven to have been correct about Weaver.

“Another example of Rove’s methods involves a former ally of Rove’s from Texas, John Weaver, who, coincidentally, managed McCain’s bid in 2000. Many Republican operatives in Texas tell the story of another close race of sorts: a competition in the 1980s to become the dominant Republican consultant in Texas. In 1986 Weaver and Rove both worked on Bill Clements’s successful campaign for governor, after which Weaver was named executive director of the state Republican Party. Both were emerging as leading consultants, but Weaver’s star seemed to be rising faster. The details vary slightly according to which insider tells the story, but the main point is always the same: after Weaver went into business for himself and lured away one of Rove’s top employees, Rove spread a rumor that Weaver had made a pass at a young man at a state Republican function. Weaver won’t reply to the smear, but those close to him told me of their outrage at the nearly two-decades-old lie. Weaver was first made unwelcome in some Texas Republican circles, and eventually, following McCain’s 2000 campaign, he left the Republican Party altogether. He has continued an active and successful career as a political consultant—in Texas and Alabama, among other states—and is currently working for McCain as a Democrat.”

Read More on NYTimes.com: 21 Men Accuse Lincoln Project Co-Founder of Online Harassment

John Weaver admits he sent “inappropriate” sexually charged messages to multiple men

John Weaver, a co-founder of the anti-Trump Republican political action committee The Lincoln Project, said Friday that he sent “inappropriate” sexually charged messages to multiple men and issued an apology for his behavior.

“To the men I made uncomfortable through my messages that I viewed as consensual mutual conversations at the time: I am truly sorry,” Weaver said in a statement to Axios. “They were inappropriate and it was because of my failings that this discomfort was brought on you.”

“The truth is that I’m gay,” Weaver added in his statement to the outlet. “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.”

The statement from Weaver, a longtime GOP operative, came after a number of allegations surfaced this week of men accusing the strategist of sending inappropriate messages.

Multiple men claimed that he had sent them sexually suggestive messages unsolicited, with the messages occasionally including offers of employment or political gain, Axios reported.

Read Full Article on TheHill.com