(Article by Nicholas Fondacaro republished from NewsBusters.org)
Though they only covered the Weaver’s scandal Sunday night, ABC’s World News Tonight spent two and half minutes detailing some of the accounts.
"Tonight, explosive allegations against a top Republican strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project," reported ABC’s Andrew Dymburt. "The New York Times reporting John Weaver, who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich, allegedly ‘Sent unsolicited and sexually provocative messages’ to young men online, sometimes offering to help them get work in politics, according to the report."
Besides asking young men to send him "lewd photos," Weaver arguably spent years grooming one man starting when he was 14, and growing more "sexually suggestive" once he turned 18. ABC spoke with that young man:
DYMBURT: The Times, citing interviews with 21 men, including Cole Trickle Miele, who told The Times the messages began in 2015 when he was 14 years old. They escalated over the years, Trickle Miele said, pointing to a June, 2018, exchange when Weaver allegedly asked, "Are you in high school still?" Trickle Miele, told Weaver he would be 18 the next Spring, to which weaver replied, "You look older. You've gotten taller."
Trickle Miele confirmed his account in The Times to ABC news and provided screenshots of the messages.
COLE TRICKLE MIELE: To me, it was just really like – not star-struck but kind of, you know, kind of like, "oh okay, this is cool, this is somebody higher up who’s reaching out." And that was fine. The messages over the years got more concerning, and suggestive, sexually suggestive.
While CBS Evening News was avoiding the Lincoln Project story, they spent part of their Monday newscast trying to tie former President Trump to the military coup in Myanmar.
And it wasn’t so long ago that CBS was prompting the anti-Trump group. During the Democratic National Convention, then-political correspondent Ed O’Keefe (now a White House correspondent) boasted: "The man [Hillary Clinton] lost to is the target of yet another ad, produced by a Republican group seeking to unseat him." Adding: "This time, it’s focused on how he bungled the U.S. response to Hurricane Maria, after it devastated Puerto Rico."
As for NBC’s reliance on the Lincoln Project for content, one just has the search NewsBusters here to see how MSNBC was a bastion for their bile. And throughout the Trump Presidency, the networks would gush about the snide tweets Lincoln Project co-founder George Conway would post against Trump. Including ABC.
In early August of last year, ABC’s This Week did a whole segment celebrating the Lincoln Project ad campaign. Fill-in host Martha Raddatz was thrilled the group was "waging war against the president of their own party."
"Blistering ads targeting President Trump but not by Democrats but from a group of Republicans intent on taking down the leader of their party. Many using the President's own words against him," boasted ABC correspondent Mary Bruce, at the time.
Bruce was also thankful the group was doing then-candidate Joe Biden’s dirty work. "These ads are not subtle, they are brutal, they are hitting trump where it hurts, trying to beat him at his own game. These are simply ads Biden could not run," she said.
Meanwhile, Weaver, who’s married to a woman and has two kids, admitted to sending the messages to the young men. "I am so disheartened and sad that I may have brought discomfort to anyone," Dymburt read from Weaver’s statement.
This blackout of the Lincoln Project sex scandal was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Liberty Mutual on both CBS and NBC. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund. CBS Evening News has also asked people to text anchor Norah O’Donnell at this number: (202) 217-1107.
The transcript is below
ABC’s World News TonightJanuary 31, 2021
6:12:56 p.m. Eastern
TOM LLAMAS: We turn now to a major scandal involving top Republican strategist John Weaver, the co-founder of the Lincoln Project who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich. According to The New York Times, several men say he sent unsolicited and sexual messages online. ABC’s Andrew Dymburt with the details and his response.
[Cuts to video]
ANDREW DYMBURT: Tonight, explosive allegations against a top Republican strategist and co-founder of the anti-Trump group the Lincoln Project. The New York Times reporting John Weaver, who worked on the presidential campaigns of John McCain and John Kasich, allegedly "Sent unsolicited and sexually provocative messages" to young men online, sometimes offering to help them get work in politics, according to the report.
In some cases, Weaver allegedly asking for lewd photos suggesting one man “post a thirst trap” or “send me a pick.”
The Times, citing interviews with 21 men, including Cole Trickle Miele, who told The Times the messages began in 2015 when he was 14 years old. They escalated over the years, Trickle Miele said, pointing to a June, 2018, exchange when Weaver allegedly asked, "Are you in high school still?" Trickle Miele, told Weaver he would be 18 the next Spring, to which weaver replied, "You look older. You've gotten taller."
Trickle Miele confirmed his account in The Times to ABC news and provided screenshots of the messages.
COLE TRICKLE MIELE: To me, it was just really like – not star-struck but kind of, you know, kind of like, “oh okay, this is cool, this is somebody higher up who’s reaching out.” And that was fine. The messages over the years got more concerning, and suggestive, sexually suggestive.
DYMBURT: In a statement to ABC News, Weaver suggested he believed the messages were consensual. "I am so disheartened and sad that I may have brought discomfort to anyone."
LINCOLN PROJECT AD: There's mourning in America.
DYMBURT: Weaver and lifelong Republicans formed the Lincoln Project, and their group actively campaigned against former President Trump in 2020, saying he abandoned Republican principles. Weaver spoke to 60 Minutes late last year.
LESLEY STAHL: How painful is it for you to turn against the Republican Party?
JOHN WEAVER: There are moments of melancholy about it. No doubt.
[Cuts back to live]
DYMBURT: And Weaver is no longer affiliated or associated with the Lincoln Project. Tonight, the group saying in a statement they are shocked and sickened by these accusations. And none of the men accuse Weaver of any unlawful conduct. Tom.
LLAMAS: Andrew Dymburt for us tonight. Andrew, thank you.
Read more at: NewsBusters.org and Journalism.news
Please contact us for more information.
