John Weaver is widely known as a longtime Republican strategist and co-founder of the Lincoln Project. However, at the moment, he’s also known for online harassment. According to 21 young men, Mr. Weaver sent them provocative messages online, often mixed in political talks.
For anyone, it’s a great feeling to be noticed by the person we admire, not until the conversation makes us uncomfortable. In this case, a prominent figure messaged his young followers, offering help to work in politics. That sounds great. Not until he makes sexual remarks to the young men. If that line is crossed, it’s time to raise red flags.
‘Victims’ Comes Forward
Several young men confessed they felt preyed upon after experiencing an exchange with the influential older man. It turns out Mr. Weaver sent sexual messages to at least ten young men. In a more explicit message, he would offer professional and personal assistance in exchange for sex. A message shows Mr. Weaver wants to “give advice” in exchange. He says, “you help me … sensually.”
Last summer, social media posts surfaced about Mr. Weaver being involved in relationships with men. However, John Weaver, who has a wife and two children, denied the claims. After the allegations gained public attention in mid-January, Mr. Weaver released a statement acknowledging “inappropriate” messages that he had sent. He also apologizes to the men for the uncomfortable experiences.
However, John Weaver says that he believed all of the interactions were consensual. He further added that he wouldn’t return to the Lincoln Project from the medical leave that began in the summer. Despite Mr. Weaver’s claims, his online behavior based on interviews with the young men and screenshot was not “consensual.” In many cases, it only shows aggressive and unwanted messages.
Different Encounters with the Influential Lincoln Project Figure
A 14-Year-Old
One of Mr. Weaver’s solicitations involved sending messages to a 14-year-old, asking questions about his body while in high school. This exchange continued for four years, turning into more pointed comments after he turned 18.
It all started when Cole Trickle Miele was 14 when he followed John Weaver on Twitter in 2015. Colin admits that at a young age, he was interested in politics. At that time, Cole supported the Republican Party. After following Mr. Weaver, he quickly received a direct message. Cole admits he was semi-starstruck when John Weaver engaged in a private conversation with him.
During that time, he did not think of anything suspicious. But as the exchange between them continued, he became uncomfortable. The conversation often involves Cole’s looks or body. However, in March 2020, when Cole was 18, Mr. Weaver sent a message about wanting him to come to vegas. The older man offers to buy Cole dinner and drinks, wanting to “spoil” the boy. He also asks Cole to resend him his stats, or he can guess for “fun.”
“Politics”
Another case involves Cody Balts, a recent college graduate looking for a job in politics. It also started on Twitter, where he replied to one of Mr. Weaver’s tweets. To Cody’s surprise, he received a direct message in return. Their conversation involves traveling to Chicago and mostly politics. But at some point, Mr. Weaver asks Cody what he does in his spare time.
After answering, he ran in marathons, Cody received a suspicious reply. Mr. Weaver replied, “at least whatever we end up doing, you do it multiple times in a row.” For Cody, the exchange felt like he was exploiting his power.
Speaker Invitation
Kyle Allen shares that his exchange with Mr. Weaver includes questions about his weight, height, clothes, and whether he’s circumcised. This type of conversation started from 2016 to 2018. Mr. Weaver also kept repeatedly pushing for an invitation to speak at the University of Ottawa, where Kyle was studying. Also, he would often use sexually explicit language to express his desire to visit.
According to Kyle, he always tries to steer the conversation to politics. However, he says that John Weaver would always find ways to bring the conversation back to “sexual stuff.”
Work Offer in Lincoln Project
At least two cases involve Mr. Weaver’s offer to work with Lincoln Project as he mixes in suggestive messages. One of the men, Anthony Covell, said that Mr. Weaver started messaging him last July 2019. The exchange gradually lessened, but two weeks before the Lincoln Project was announced, Weaver invited him to join the initiative.
Anthony says that John Weaver was looking for young people who were “creative” and “invested” in the coming election. This offer got Anthony interested. However, Mr. Weaver suggested that Anthony post a “thirst trap” or send him a pic. He also asked the young man to call him for more details on the project.
After receiving those kinds of messages, Anthony shared that something was telling him that this setup was sketchy. In the end, he decided not to call.
To Wrap It Up
After receiving specific questions about the allegation, Mr. Weaver repeated his previous statement. He says that he’s so “disheartened” and “sad that he brought discomfort to anyone.” He further commented that he thought those were mutually consensual discussions.
John Weaver also shared that living in a deeply closeted life, he allowed his pain to cause pain for others. He expressed his apologies to the men involved and for “letting so many people down.”
As for the Lincoln Project’s reaction, the initiative released a statement condemning the co-founder. In the statement, they say that Mr. Weaver is a predator, liar, and abuser.
For other interesting content, explore Owner’s Mag!
