21 Young Men Accuse Lincoln Project Co-Founder Of Sending Sexual Messages, One Was 14 Years Old

Twenty-one men have alleged that longtime Republican operative John Weaver, a co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project, sent them unwanted sexual messages, according to a report Sunday from the New York Times.

One of the men who received messages from Weaver was 14 years old at the time. Weaver had asked the boy about his body.

Weaver, 61, would send sexually provocative messages to the young men with promises of giving them work in politics, according to the Times' interviews.

Steve Schmidt, another co-founder of The Lincoln Project, said there had been some social media posts in the summer of 2020 that alluded to Weaver having relations with men. Weaver had denied all claims.

Other leaders in the group said they were unaware of Weaver's behavior until earlier this month when allegations surfaced from The American Conservative, Forensic News and a letter from Garrett Herrin, a data analyst who was one of Weaver's victims, according to the Times.

Weaver sent messages while working on John McCain’s 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns, as well as John Kasich’s 2016 presidential campaign. The messages never resulted in any physical encounters, except one that was consensual.

One leaked message read, “Help you other times. Give advice, counsel, help with bills. You help me...sensually.”

“I remember being a 14-year-old kid interested in politics and being semi-starstruck by John Weaver engaging in a conversation with me,” said Cole Trickle Miele, who is now 19 years old.

Weaver confirmed the report and released a statement.

“I am so disheartened and sad that I may have brought discomfort to anyone in what I thought at the time were mutually consensual discussions. In living a deeply closeted life, I allowed my pain to cause pain for others. For that I am truly sorry to these men and everyone and for letting so many people down,” he said.

Weaver, a Texas native, has a wife and two children. He had previously acknowledged inappropriate messages.

"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," Weaver said in a statement to Axios on Jan. 15.

The Lincoln Project gained prominence in 2020 for campaigning against Donald Trump and the Republican lawmakers who supported him. On Sunday, the group condemned Weaver's actions.

“John Weaver led a secret life that was built on a foundation of deception at every level. He is a predator, a liar, and an abuser. We extend our deepest sympathies to those who were targeted by his deplorable and predatory behavior,” The Lincoln Project said in a statement.