Ex-Republican Pleads for Donations To Fight MAGA Lawsuits

A former Republican who is vocally opposed to former President Donald Trump is asking supporters to help with the legal costs of fighting a defamation lawsuit filed by a prominent MAGA figure.

Fred Wellman, the former executive director for the Lincoln Project, is seeking donations to his legal fund through the GoFundMe page, "Defend Democracy Against MAGA Lawsuits," to combat what he describes as "an intimidation effort" from former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn. The Lincoln Project is a political action committee founded by former Republicans who oppose Trump.

Flynn, who has become a leader in the Christian nationalist movement since leaving the White House, filed a defamation lawsuit against Wellman earlier this month over three tweets that Wellman posted in February and March of 2022. The tweets described Flynn as "a traitor" and accused him of being a paid agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Flynn is seeking $150 million in damages.

In 2017, Flynn pleaded guilty to a felony count of "willfully and knowingly" making false statements to the FBI about his communications with Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. Flynn was issued a presidential pardon by Trump in November 2020, in the weeks following the election.

Newsweek reached out to Flynn and Wellman via inquiry form and direct message for comment.

Wellman said while his legal teams in Washington, D.C. and Florida are representing him pro bono, "it still won't be cheap." His fundraising page states that litigation can quickly become expensive due to the legal hours spent on the case as well as out-of-pocket expenses for travel and depositions.

"We intend to vigorously fight back and demand justice. I'm not intimidated. I'm not scared. I went to war 4 times and am not one to back down from a fight," Wellman said in a Thursday post on X, formerly Twitter. "My hope is you would consider giving to my legal defense fund."

As of Friday, the GoFundMe has raised $14,645. The crowdfunding page claims that Flynn is suing Wellman "as part of MAGA's efforts to silence those who challenge their actions to undermine Democracy."

"The Binnall Law Group (Alexandria, Virginia), which is representing Mr. Flynn, has been repeatedly filing or defending lawsuits on behalf of the MAGA world, including for prominent public officials such as President Trump, Ambassador Grenell, former Congressman Devin Nunes and Kash Patel," the GoFundMe reads. "The rule of law cannot be subverted by those who seek to undermine our country."

Wellman's attorneys said they plan to do more than just defend their client in the defamation lawsuit, seeking sanctions against Flynn and his lawyers as well as pursuing "all available avenues" to expose those bankrolling the legal challenges brought by key MAGA figures.

Newsweek reached out to the Binnall Law Group via email for comment.

In the November 2 complaint, Flynn's team argues that Wellman's statements directly concern Flynn's business and that those claims tying him to Putin hurt his reputation, injure his ability to participate in politics and policy advocacy and harm him financially.

"General Flynn has suffered direct pecuniary losses as a result of Defendant's accusations, including costs associated with lost business opportunities and money spent to defend his own reputation," the complaint reads.

"[Wellman's] allegations are as vile as they are false," the lawsuit said. "General Flynn has dedicated his career to safeguarding America's national security, as Defendant well knows, and is a staunch advocate for the preservation of American values and election integrity."

Update 11/17/23 12:29 p.m. ET This story was updated to reflect that Wellman used to be a Republican.