The home page of Never Trump Super PAC “The Lincoln Project”

While claiming to work at restoring conservatism it is no shock how little is spent on that task.

The cadre of grousing voices on the political pundit landscape that are boldly in opposition to the president have been loosely gathered under the umbrella known as ‘’Never Trumpers’’. Some are bigger names, others are behind-the-curtain brokers, but all seem to share the visceral disdain for Donald Trump. One other charge that has been leveled at these ‘’noble’’ protectors of conservatism (their own descriptor) is that they are in on a grift.

While most have developed a level of notoriety in the wake of their bold opposition to the president they also have a hustle attached, it seems. Columnist Max Boot and GOP media consultant Rick Wilson have produced books based on their resistance. Others with election experience, such as Steve Schmidt, glean airtime on the news networks to bolster their name recognition and secure future work. Then there is the deposed crew from The Weekly Standard who have reconstituted under the new flagship The Bulwark, made possible with the fortunes of Silicon Valley billionaire Pierre Olmydar, an avowed leftist.

One of the newest political operations to rise up from this faction is the political super-PAC called The Lincoln Project. This opposition group rose with significant fanfare — tellingly on most left-of-center media outlets. It is not often a PAC forming gets widespread promotional support in the press, but the prospect of a group of avowed GOP players gathering to bring down the president has the media salivating. The main spokesman was Wilson, sitting in for a lengthy segment on MSNBC, and even The Daily Show.

The Lincoln Project has declared they will be a major player in the 2020 election, tasked with defeating Donald Trump, but notable from this group of self-described True Conservatives is how little backing we see of who they declare to be conservative alternatives. The ads they have run so far have been in opposition to Trump and his support politicians, such as Martha McSally. This past week the group came out to lend its endorsement to Joe Biden for president. So this is not at all about competing in the arena of ideas, it is only about damaging the president by any means possible.

Well…not ‘’only’’. What has been revealed is that this is not an effort being made to sway our political landscape — it is a pure money scheme. Financials from TLP have come out and they show that a significant amount of the money taken in is not sent out to the field for grassroots or even professional activism — it is sent to the interests of those on the TLP board. Members aside from Wilson include George Conway, Steve Schmidt, Jennifer Horn, and George Steslow among others. And they all have personally benefited by the dollars that rolled in.

Lincoln Project members Reed Galen (Summit Strategic Communications) and Ron Steslow (TUSK Digital) appreciate your support. pic.twitter.com/VIAFcWcWkU

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) January 30, 2020

In a detailed thread on his Twitter account Rob Pyers went through the released financials of this group and, even by the fractured ethics of PAC standards, The Lincoln Project is rather brazen in how it allocates its funds. During the excitable segment on MSNBC Nicole Wallace led the cheering, announcing how TLP had very quickly taken in over $1 million over the course of weeks. Where that money went says it all. Rick Wilson states in the interview how they saw a lack of heroes in the current GOP willing to stand up to Donald Trump. Yet with that tacit declaration of his heroism what is exposed is the venality of those on the TLP board.

As Pyers shows over 90% of the money donated has gone to businesses and groups directly tied to the members of The Lincoln Project.

#NeverTrump The Lincoln Project raised $685,071 in the last two weeks of 2019. Of the $100K spent, $50K went to Lincoln Project member Ron Stelow's TUSK Digital, $5K to Lincoln Project's Jennifer Horn, w/$10K in unpaid bills to Lincoln Project's Reed Galen's firm. pic.twitter.com/9vH0l0VKgi

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) January 30, 2020

One way this works is seen in that Martha McSally commercial hit. With $20,000 allocated for that commercial, $5,000 went to purchasing ad buy, while the rest went towards Summit Strategic Communications, Reed Galen’s operation. One other form shows how the bulk of payouts goes to Galen and his firm — over $97,000 of the $103,000 paid out for those expenditures.

#NeverTrump @ProjectLincoln out with its latest $17,305 anti-Trump independent expenditure.

Of the $103,304 in independent expenditures paid out this cycle, Lincoln Project founder Reed Galen's Summit Strategic Communications has received $97,240. pic.twitter.com/Zb7Z47XiyY

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) March 13, 2020

And note too these are strictly for commercial runs that oppose Donald Trump, or politicians who work with him in congress. There is no support for conservatives in congress, no work being done on behalf of new candidates to challenge those they deem unworthy of conservative labeling. The most revealing aspect in all of this money hoovering was from where the money coming into The Lincoln Project derives.

Looking at the donations to the PAC in excess of $1,000 those donors all seem to share a common trait.

Not really much of a surprise, but the vast majority of donors contributing over $1,000 to The Lincoln Project have contributed exclusively to Democratic candidates, per FEC records. pic.twitter.com/vuy5vbVejk

— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) January 30, 2020

And there is the hilarity to be found in this grift. An outfit that pretends to be the true arbiters of conservatism subsists mostly on fawning coverage in the left-wing media, does work strictly in opposition to those on the right, has come out to endorse Joe Biden, and collects the vast majority of its funding from Democrat sympathizers.

You have to admire that level of grifting. Getting rich off of doing hack work to line your pockets with the largesse of liberal hysterics…I am completely jealous for not coming up with such a blatant scam.