John Weaver, a staunch Never-Trump political operative, has pulled out of an agreement to lobby on behalf of a Russian state-owned nuclear energy company following blowback — with many critics noting his long history of claiming President Donald Trump is subservient to Vladimir Putin.
Weaver, a top strategist for former Ohio John Kasich’s (R) failed 2016 White House bid and a commentator for MSNBC, signed a contract in April with the Tenam Corporation, a subsidiary of the state-owned Rosatom, and registered as a foreign agent to lobby against “sanctions or other restrictions in the area of atomic (nuclear) energy, trade or cooperation involving in any way the Russian Federation.” The contract was worth $350,000, plus expenses, according to disclosure filings reported first by Politico Wednesday.
In the wake of a social media firestorm, Weaver revealed Thursday that he was ending his agreement with the Tenam Corporation. “I’m rejecting the contract,” he told CNBC reporter Brian Schwartz. “‘[M]y only focus is the replace of Donald Trump as ‘president’ and his low traveling minions. While I believe strongly in a stable uranium market, for the US national security issues and economic issues — plus keeping proliferation at bay — I don’t want to be distracted or disputed.”
NEW: John Weaver tells me he's rejecting a contract with Tenam Corporation, which was to include lobbying on “sanctions or other restrictions in the area of atomic (nuclear) energy, trade or cooperation involving in any way the Russian Federation."His lawyers informed Tenam today pic.twitter.com/qUmZZnEx9I
— Brian Schwartz (@schwartzbCNBC) May 16, 2019
Hours after the Politico report broke, Weaver had taken to social media in an attempt to explain how he believed his plum lobbying gig boded with U.S. national security interests despite being an ardent critic of Russia president Vladimir Putin.
Bear with me please. No one understands better than I twitter world is one devoid of patience or nuance. Many of you are upset (understatement) that I registered for an American subsidiary of a Russian company owned by the Russian government (I think I got that right)
— John Weaver (@jwgop) May 16, 2019
market is in line with US national security interests, keeps supplies stable for American energy producers and keeps nuclear proliferation at bay. This is something the late Dick Lugar talked with me about extensively, urging me to do this.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) May 16, 2019
security policy, by our going-it-alone policies from this "president." Adding uncertainty to the uranium market would make this globe even more dangerous, as Senator Lugar said. This wasn't an easy call. I've fought against Russia's attack on our democracy before almost
— John Weaver (@jwgop) May 16, 2019
that we can't paint everything with the same brush. We can't make the world more dangerous, our economy more unstable in order to feel good about taking on Trump. In any event, thanks for taking time to read all of this (if you did).
— John Weaver (@jwgop) May 16, 2019
I take your criticisms fairly. If you're going to be in the fight, you have to be able to take it and dish it out. I'm not going to shrink from the barricades and calling for significant and wholesale change in this country. On that at least we can agree.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) May 16, 2019
Despite Weaver’s best effort, the political operative was nonetheless assailed for the swampy and politically hypocritical move.
Kind of legitimizes all that "swamp" talk Trump's been spewing. #Russia @jwgop
— Jim Heath (@JimHeathTV) May 16, 2019
This is the same @jwgop who spent the past two years attacking Putin, “Putin worshippers”, referring to Putin as Trump’s “handler”, accusing Putin of murdering journalists, etc etc.
Amazing. https://t.co/HGRVLlZKyN
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 16, 2019
Yes, @jwgop has blocked me so he can't see me insulting him, the coward. My 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech requires that he be forced to read me calling him a political whore. https://t.co/0zRn162y0t
— Esoteric Jeff (@EsotericCD) May 16, 2019
Wow, @jwgop, talk about negotiable virtue 😂
— Ron Coleman (@RonColeman) May 16, 2019
While not as prominent as his fellow Trump-Russia collusion hoaxers, Weaver has pushed their same conspiracry theories about Putin’s influence over President Trump and the Republican Party. In December 2016, Weaver called for the Russian president to face “Sanctions from Hell” to prevent him and his “KGB cronies” from moving their money.
And Putin needs to face "Sanctions from Hell," so that he and his KGB cronies can't move their stolen money around the world.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) December 15, 2016
The Kasich ally urged an independent counsel and bi-partisan congressional committee to study potential sanctions against Putin.
#RESISTANCE Call for Independent Counsel; Special Select Cttee of Congress (evenly divided between parties); Sanctions from hell on Putin.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) January 11, 2017
He attacked President Trump just five months ago for lifting sanctions on Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, insinuating that Putin ordered the change.
Of course Trump ended the sanctions on Deripaksa. You think Putin invested all of that just for chaos?
— John Weaver (@jwgop) January 27, 2019
Weaver has even suggested that Putin was President Trump’s “handler.”
Why doesn't Trump just cut out all the middle men and invite Putin to the debate as his guest (handler)?
— John Weaver (@jwgop) October 18, 2016
Trump has your back if you're a Saudi butcher, a murderous North Korean despot, or his handler Putin. But if you are an advocate of freedom, not so much.
— John Weaver (@jwgop) February 28, 2019
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