Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Saturday morning that he will work with Florida's attorney general to investigate GoFundMe after the platform shut down a fundraiser for the Canadian truckers protesting as part of the Freedom Convoy.
DeSantis, a GOP favorite, declared that it's "fraud" for GoFundMe to "commandeer" the at least $9 million raised to support the protesting truckers.
The popular Republican governor promised to collaborate with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to investigate GoFundMe's "deceptive practices."
DeSantis responded to the news with a tweet Saturday, stating: "It is a fraud for @gofundme to commandeer $9M in donations sent to support truckers and give it to causes of their own choosing. I will work with @AGAshleyMoody to investigate these deceptive practices — these donors should be given a refund."
It is a fraud for @gofundme to commandeer $9M in donations sent to support truckers and give it to causes of their own choosing.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 5, 2022
I will work with @AGAshleyMoody to investigate these deceptive practices — these donors should be given a refund.
The convoy's fundraising campaign had raised millions of dollars for the pro-freedom convoy before GoFundMe moved to deplatform the effort.
GoFundMe first said Friday it would refund contributions to donors who applied and the remaining funds would be distributed to charities chosen by the Freedom Convoy organizers and verified by the Big Tech crowdfunding site.
Following intense backlash, GoFundMe later decided overnight on Friday into Saturday to refund donations with automatic returns "due to donor feedback."
The update we issued earlier enabled all donors to get a refund and outlined a plan to distribute remaining funds to verified charities selected by the Freedom Convoy organizers. However, due to donor feedback, we are simplifying the process and automatically refunding donations.
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) February 5, 2022
Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo, a pro-free speech alternative to GoFundMe, has since agreed to host the Freedom Convoy donations.
GoFundMe has a history of targeting right-wing causes while it has backed far-left campaigns. The company supported the Antifa-occupied CHAZ/CHOP following the high-profile slayings in the lawless space. "In a community with no police, this farmer is feeding people & bringing them closer together," GoFundMe promoted.
The massive peaceful protest in Canada has rallied everyday citizens, regardless of vaccination status, to support medical freedom. It started as a protest against mandatory vaccination for truckers while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attempted to paint the Freedom Convoy as "a fringe minority" with "unacceptable views" and politicians tried to frame the demonstration as Canada's own Jan. 6.
Despite the smear tactics, the peaceful demonstrators had confronted a masked man who appeared with a Confederal Flag last weekend and demanded he leave.
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
