In the first quarter of 2023, The Lincoln Project didn’t dispel any of the old accusations that it favored contractors with connections to the group. Senior adviser Joe Trippi saw more than $300,000 worth of work paid out to his firm, Lever Communications. The firm, of the longtime Democratic consultant, did digital production and digital services work.

The Lincoln Project also brought on one of the founder’s sons, Andrew Wilson, as an independent contractor responsible for corporate campaign management.

The original operatives who founded the organization in 2019 became a magnet that attracted $90 million, and subsequently $50 million found its way to firms connected to the owners, according to an investigation by the AP.