The former GOP operatives behind the Lincoln Project are expanding their list of Republican targe…

The former GOP operatives behind the Lincoln Project are expanding their list of Republican targets, infuriating allies of President TrumpDonald John TrumpTeachers union launches 0K ad buy calling for education funding in relief billFDA head pledges ‘we will not cut corners’ on coronavirus vaccineLet our values drive COVID-19 liability protectionMORE and national Republicans scrambling to preserve the GOP majority in the Senate.
In addition to a relentless negative ad campaign against Trump, the group has so far spent more than $1.3 million attacking Sen. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsState aid emerges as major hurdle to reviving COVID-19 talksSenators ask for removal of tariffs on EU food, wine, spirits: reportCoronavirus deal key to Republicans protecting Senate majorityMORE (Maine), who is among the most vulnerable GOP senators up for reelection. Thats by far the most theyve spent on any Senate candidate.
Federal Election Commission filings reveal the Lincoln Project has also targeted a half dozen other Republicans up for reelection in 2020, including Sens. Cory GardnerCory Scott GardnerSenators ask for removal of tariffs on EU food, wine, spirits: reportCoronavirus deal key to Republicans protecting Senate majorityFrom a Republican donor to Senate GOP: Remove marriage penalty or risk alienating votersMORE (Colo), Martha McSallyMartha Elizabeth McSallyCoronavirus deal key to Republicans protecting Senate majorityFrom a Republican donor to Senate GOP: Remove marriage penalty or risk alienating votersHillicon Valley: Facebook bans ads from pro-Trump PAC | Uber reports big drop in revenue | US offers M reward for election interference infoMORE (Ariz.), Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamSeveral GOP lawmakers express concern over Trump executive ordersGraham says he appreciates Trump orders, but ‘would much prefer a congressional agreement’Sunday shows preview: White House, congressional Democrats unable to breach stalemate over coronavirus reliefMORE (S.C.), Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisCoronavirus deal key to Republicans protecting Senate majorityFrom a Republican donor to Senate GOP: Remove marriage penalty or risk alienating votersThe Hill’s Campaign Report: COVID-19 puts conventions in flux MORE (N.C.), Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstWill the next coronavirus relief package leave essential workers behind?Hillicon Valley: Facebook bans ads from pro-Trump PAC | Uber reports big drop in revenue | US offers M reward for election interference infoSenate passes legislation to ban TikTok on federal devicesMORE (Iowa), John CornynJohn CornynCOVID-19 bill limiting liability would strike the wrong balanceFrom a Republican donor to Senate GOP: Remove marriage penalty or risk alienating votersSkepticism grows over Friday deadline for coronavirus dealMORE (Texas), and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTeachers union launches 0K ad buy calling for education funding in relief billNo signs of breakthrough for stalemated coronavirus talksState aid emerges as major hurdle to reviving COVID-19 talksMORE (Ky.).The group is running ads in support of Democratic Senate candidates Steve BullockSteve BullockRepublicans uncomfortably playing defense300 green groups say Senate has ‘moral duty’ to reject Trump’s public lands nomineeLincoln Project targets Senate races in Alaska, Maine, Montana with M ad buyMORE in Montana and Al Gross in Alaska, who are seeking to unseat Sens. Steve DainesSteven (Steve) David DainesFrom a Republican donor to Senate GOP: Remove marriage penalty or risk alienating votersThe Hill’s Campaign Report: COVID-19 puts conventions in flux OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Trump signs major conservation bill into law | Senate votes to confirm Energy’s No. 2 official | Trump Jr. expresses opposition to Pebble Mine projectMORE (R-Mont.) and Dan SullivanDaniel Scott SullivanLincoln Project targets Senate races in Alaska, Maine, Montana with M ad buyOvernight Energy: Official says protesters not cleared from Lafayette Square for Trump | Trump administration blasts banks refusing to fund Arctic drilling | 2019 coal production hit lowest level since 1978Trump administration blasts banks that refuse to fund arctic drilling MORE (R-Alaska), respectively.
Reed Galen, a strategist for the group, told The Hill that the Senate map has expanded and that off-cycle Senate Republicans shouldnt believe their day wont come. The Lincoln Project has invested very small amounts in ads going after Sens. Marco RubioMarco Antonio RubioChina sanctioning Rubio, Cruz in retaliatory move over Hong KongThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Negotiators signal relief bill stuck, not deadPPP application window closes after coronavirus talks deadlock MORE (R-Fla.), Ted CruzRafael (Ted) Edward CruzSens. Markey, Cruz clash over coronavirus relief: ‘It’s not a goddamn joke Ted’China sanctioning Rubio, Cruz in retaliatory move over Hong KongThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Negotiators signal relief bill stuck, not deadMORE (R-Texas), Jim InhofeJames (Jim) Mountain InhofeTrump’s contempt for advice and consentSenate GOP divided over whether they’d fill Supreme Court vacancy Controversial Trump nominee placed in senior role after nomination hearing canceledMORE (R-Okla.) and Mike RoundsMarion (Mike) Michael RoundsOn The Money: Pessimism grows as coronavirus talks go down to the wire | Jobs report poised to light fire under COVID-19 talks | Tax preparers warn unemployment recipients could owe IRS Pessimism grows as coronavirus talks go down to the wireTrump goes viral after mispronouncing YosemiteMORE (R-Idaho).Galen said the group is also taking a look at the House, with a potential announcement on that front coming soon. In addition, the Lincoln Project is planning a substantive and robust effort to encourage voters to send in mail and absentee ballots.
The Lincoln Project is taking heat from Republicans for backing challengers to blue state GOP senators and moderates, such as Collins, who voted against Trumps efforts to repeal ObamaCare. Galen defended the attacks, saying theyll target anyone who they believe has inadequately fought back against Trump.
The stated goal from the beginning was to defeat Trump and Trump-ism at the ballot box and to call out his enablers, Galen said. These senators weve gone after are not conservative Republicans in any classical sense of those words…they should have Ts behind their names, not Rs.
The Lincoln Project has gone viral with ad campaigns attacking Trump and any GOP senator they believe has not done enough to stand up to the president.
The groups senior members were well-known Washington Republicans before they turned to electing Democrats. The team includes lawyer George ConwayGeorge Thomas ConwayLincoln Project ad dubs Jared Kushner the ‘Secretary of Failure’Hillicon Valley: Trump raises idea of delaying election, faces swift bipartisan pushback | Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google release earnings reports | Senators ask Justice Department to investigate TikTok, ZoomMeme group joins with Lincoln Project in new campaign against TrumpMORE, the husband of White House senior adviser Keyllanne Conway, as well as veteran GOP operatives and strategists Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt and John Weaver.Republicans working to reelect Trump and maintain the majority in the Senate are hitting back, alleging that the former GOP operatives are grifters who have taken up electing Democrats because they lost their cushy establishment jobs when Trump was elected.
Theyre accusing the Lincoln Project of being a scam PAC that funnels money directly to firms with close ties to the founders.
The Lincoln Project is comprised of grifters who are nothing more than agents of the Democrat Party, said Republican National Committee spokesman Steve Guest. Above all else, these political opportunists are solely concerned with making a quick buck for themselves.
The Lincoln Project has routed millions of dollars through firms owned or run by two of its co-founders, Galen and Ron Steslow, the president of the consulting firm TUSK, Inc.
A review of the groups independent expenditures shows that, in July alone, the Lincoln Project paid nearly $6 million to Galens firm Summit Strategic Communication for media buys and production costs. Likewise, the group routed about $870,000 through TUSK last month, mostly for digital ad buys, FEC filings show.Taken together, Summit Strategic Communications and TUSK are the Lincoln Projects two largest vendors.
Craig Holman, a campaign finance and government ethics expert at the liberal nonprofit Public Citizen, said that the Lincoln Project does not appear to be operating as a so-called scam PAC, noting that theyve spent millions for legitimate political causes.
The real scam PACs are exceedingly bold in the sense that they almost dont care about what political cause theyre working for, Holman said. When it comes to the Lincoln Project, I do see theyre spending a lot of money enriching the founders, but they do seem to have a genuine political objective.
Its not all that uncommon for political action committees to use vendors with ties to the PAC itself, Holman said. But when the bulk of the expenditures go to companies you or your family owns thats uncommon, he added.
The Lincoln Projects critics have also been digging through the past work of senior members of the group to raise questions about their motives.
Trump campaign insiders say Schmidt, a senior adviser to former Sen. John McCainJohn Sidney McCainBill Maher delivers mock eulogy for TrumpHillary Clinton roasts NYT’s Maureen Dowd over columnCNN’s Ana Navarro to host Biden roundtable on making ‘Trump a one-term president’MOREs (R-Ariz.) 2008 presidential campaign, interviewed to be Trumps campaign manager in 2016. Schmidt denies this, saying he was offered the job of campaign manager three times but never interviewed for it. He says he only met with Trump to see what he was about.
Lincoln Project critics have circulated a picture of Wilson, a veteran GOP operative, with a Confederate flag on his boat. Theyve also been digging into his finances and debt. Weaver, a senior adviser to former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), has been attacked for at one point registering to lobby against sanctions on Russia, before backing out.
It is a Democratic scam PAC run by a bunch of grifters desperate to remain relevant and fill their own coffers, said Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Galen defended the groups work, accusing elected Republican lawmakers of bending their principles to kowtow to Trump.He said that for the most part, Republican dissent has been weak and that GOP lawmakers have been silent as Trump ran up the debt, ordered the police to move on peaceful protesters outside the White House, and declined to challenge Russian President Vladmir Putin for offering bounties on U.S. forces.
They should have seen themselves as members of the U.S. Senate and put the country first, Galen said. If the head of the party is Donald Trump and you disagree on policy, politics and decorum, and the best you can summon is that youre worried and concerned and hope that he does better, thats not opposition.
I get from a political perspective you dont want to draw his ire, but at some point you have to take a stand on these things, Galen said. When history looks back, will you have stood with the U.S. and fought for the underpinnings of democracy or not? These people have made their choices.