Anti-Trump ‘Lincoln Project’ Loses Thousands From Dubious Scam

Donald Trump got some good news today. The Lincoln Project, a super PAC well-known for its opposition to the former president, recently fell victim to cyber-theft, losing $35,000 through fraudulent transactions. This political action committee, which gained prominence for its vehement anti-Trump advertisements and media presence, described the loss in a filing to the Federal Election Commission.

The fraudulent acts were conducted through a hacked email belonging to one of the Lincoln Project’s vendors. The hackers sent out authentic-looking invoices from the legitimate email account of the vendor, which also affected multiple clients.

“A vendor’s email was hacked, with the hackers producing authentic-looking invoices that were sent from our vendor’s legitimate email account. The hack affected multiple clients of the vendor, including Lincoln Project,” explained Greg Minchak, a spokesman for the Lincoln Project to Raw Story.

Despite the financial setback, the Lincoln Project insists that the theft has not hindered their operations. Minchak added, “The transactions did not impact our operations in any way in the fight for a democratic future for our nation.”

The Lincoln Project was formed in 2019 by several current and former members of the Republican Party. The main aim of the group is to prevent the re-election of Donald Trump and his supporters in Congress. The founders include prominent figures like George Conway, Steve Schmidt, John Weaver, and Rick Wilson, among others. They are known for their aggressive use of media campaigns, particularly sharp, often viral advertisements against Trump and his allies. The PAC has argued that Trump’s leadership style and policies betray the core principles of the Republican Party and the United States, advocating for a return to more traditional Republican values.

After the hack was detected by the Lincoln Project’s vendor, they informed the groups, and “our compliance firm took immediate steps to mitigate the problem,” according to Minchak. “This included notifying our bank’s fraud department and implementing new procedures to confirm invoices and payments. Since it was the vendor that was hacked, we are letting them and our bank’s fraud department lead any investigation.”

When requested to name the vendor, Minchak chose not to disclose their identity.

“We value the privacy of the vendor and have no additional comment,” he stated.

The theft comes at a time when the Lincoln Project is already facing other challenges. Following its significant influence in the 2020 election cycle with a $85.1 million fundraising achievement, the group has struggled to maintain its financial momentum according to Raw Story. It has raised just under $11 million through the end of March 2024, spending about $1.9 million of it. The current cash on hand stands at about $2 million, a stark contrast to their previous financial successes.

However, recent controversies, including a sexual harassment scandal involving co-founder John Weaver and questions about the PAC’s financial management, have plagued the Lincoln Project. The scandal led to Weaver’s departure and calls from co-founder George Conway for the group’s dissolution.

Other victims this year include the campaign of Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) and the Marriott International’s PAC, both of whom also experienced fraudulent transactions but managed to recoup their losses through swift action with their financial institutions.