Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, plan to investigate GoFundMe’s decision to refuse distribution of fundraiser donations to “Freedom Convoy 2022.”
“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.”
On Thursday, GoFundMe announced a freeze, saying the money-raising effort was “under review to ensure it complies with our terms of service and applicable laws and regulations.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, GoFundMe, known for catering to left-wing politics, changed its mind.
The company cited “police reports of violence and unlawful activity” by those involved in the protest as a reason to throttle the funding – even though the protest has been peaceful.
As The Free Press posted on Friday, the site said it would “work with organizers to send all remaining funds to credible and established charities chosen by the Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers and verified by GoFundMe.”
But on Saturday, GoFundMe had thawed the freeze – although it seemed the truckers in the Great White North would still be left in the cold.
Breitbert noted that after “an intense backlash against the company” for the plan to simply give their money to some other cause they had no intention of backing, GoFundMe said the donors supporting the Freedom Convoy would see their contributions “automatically” refunded.
“To simplify the process for our users, we will be refunding all donations to the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser. This refund will happen automatically—you do not need to submit a request. Donors can expect to see refunds within 7-10 business days,” the company said in a tweet.
Several Republican state attorneys general that they plan to investigate GoFundMe for potentially violating state consumer protection laws.
Florida State Attorney General Ashley Moody said on Sunday, “Now come in and make a political judgment and pose your political will, when folks are trying to support those standing up for their freedoms, for their rights. We’re not going to put up with this hypocritical nonsense by big business.”
“My office will be looking into whether or not #GoFundMe violated our state law. If you are a Louisiana donor to the #FreedomConvoy, please contact my #ConsumerProtection Section!” Jeff Landry, attorney general in Louisiana, said in a Saturday tweet.
“In WV, organizations must not deceive donors and engage in deceptive advertising practices. If you’ve been victimized by a deceptive act or practice, let us know!” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said.
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Sunday he was demanding the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigate crowdfunding site GoFundMe after it shut down a fundraiser supporting truckers protesting Canadian COVID-19 restrictions.
“Today I sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asking that the FTC open an investigation into GoFundMe into whether they’ve committed deceptive trade practices,” Cruz said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Other prominent Republican lawmakers, including Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, have signaled their intent to scrutinize the crowdfunding site.
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About time somebody said something at least about these games Go fund me plays. Go luck .