Hackers steal $35k from anti-Trump Super PAC Lincoln Project
‘Since it was the vendor that was hacked, we are letting them and our bank’s fraud department lead any investigation,’ the group’s spokesperson said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Lincoln Project, a PAC known for its fiery ads opposing the former president, lost tens of thousands to online hackers.
The group reported to the FEC two transactions worth $35,000, marking them as “fraudulent”, records show.
Both payments were made in February, the filings show. One transaction was for $20,000, while the other was for $15,000.
Lincoln Project spokesperson Greg Minchak explained the filings to Raw Story: “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.”
Mr Minchak didn’t name the vendor.
He added that “transactions did not impact our operations in any way in the fight for a democratic future for our nation”.
After realising the hack had occurred, Mr Minchak said the group’s “compliance firm took immediate steps to mitigate the problem”.
“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,” the spokesperson said.
This isn’t the only hiccup the PAC has faced in recent years.
George Conway, a co-founder of the Lincoln Project, called for the group to shut down after more than a dozen men accused fellow co-founder John Weaver of harassment – including a teenager.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments