Democrat Tim Ryan turns to co-founder of disgraced Lincoln Project for help on campaign trail
Democratic Ohio Senate nomination It appears that Ryan has turned to a former Republican strategist with ties the disgraced Lincoln Project to help him with his campaign. He is currently trailing Republican nominee JDVance in the polls.
Steve Schmidt was a co-founder and leader of the left-wing PAC, which has been embroiled in scandals and embarrassment over its efforts to stop the GOP gaining control of Congress. He joined Ryan on the campaign trail for a few days, praising him as a “pro-democracy candidate” and Vance as a ‘fascist”. “
” I have been on the campaign trail for the past few days with my friend Tim Ryan, who is in a tight Senate race with JD Vance. What are you doing to help pro-democracy candidate on November 8th? Schmidt tweeted a Sunday message, with a photo of Ryan.
Founded in 2020 as an anti-Donald Trump PAC by disgruntled Republicans, the Lincoln Project received liberal media acclaim for its vitriolic, trolling ads. However, its reputation collapsed in a wave of humiliating scandals in 2021, including when one of its co-founders, John Weaver, was accused of sexually harassing more than 20 young men, one of whom was 14 at the time of the alleged harassment.
Schmidt and his other co-founders denied reported allegations that they were made aware of the accusations against Weaver months before the public. Schmidt quit the Lincoln Project last year after giving an ultimatum to Reed Galen and his fellow co-founders that they keep him or Reed Galen. This was in reference to the Weaver sexual harassment scandal.
Earlier this month, Schmidt urged the group to disband . He also blasted his co-founders for being “despicable and unethical”. “
Fox News Digital reached Ryan’s campaign to get comment. They asked why Schmidt was on the campaign trail with him.
JD Vance, Republican U.S. Senate candidate from Ohio, running in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, speaks during former President Trump’s rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2022.
(REUTERS/Gaelen Morse/File Photo)
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Fox also reached out to Vance’s campaign and received a statement from a spokesperson blasting Schmidt’s involvement as desperation for Ryan’s campaign. We’re not surprised that a fraud like Tim Ryan has tied himself to a Lincoln Project grifter such as Steve Schmidt,” the statement said. “Schmidt lost every single Senate race he got involved in during the 2020 election cycle and we look forward to continuing that losing streak for him.”
” “That Ryan is openly campaigning alongside this grifter shows you just how desperate his campaign is,” it stated.
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, attends a rally in support of the Bartlett Maritime project, a proposal to build a submarine service facility for the U.S. Navy, on May 2, 2022 in Lorain, Ohio.
(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Fox News’ Power Rankings has rated the race between Ryan and Vance as “lean Republican. “
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The election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Fox News’ David Rutz contributed to this report.
Brandon Gillespie is an associate editor at Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @brandon_cg
I have been writing professionally for over 20 years and have a deep understanding of the psychological and emotional elements that affect people. I’m an experienced ghostwriter and editor, as well as an award-winning author of five novels.
