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DeSantis Announces Florida Will Investigate GoFundMe After Company Shut Down Freedom Convoy
Daily Wire ^ | 2/5)22 | Ryan Saavedra

Posted on 02/05/2022 3:13:37 PM PST by Impala64ssa

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis announced Saturday morning that he will work with the state’s attorney general to investigate GoFundMe after the company shut down a fundraiser for the Canadian truckers participating in the Freedom Convoy.

“The fundraising effort had raised C$10 million—around $7.9 million—and C$1 million had already been distributed to the organizers of the so-called Freedom Convoy before GoFundMe took the decision to stop the fundraiser,” Newsweek reported. “GoFundMe initially announced on Friday it would refund contributions to anyone who applied and the remaining funds would be distributed to charities chosen by the Freedom Convoy organizers and verified by the crowdfunding site.”

GoFundMe later reversed course, citing “donor feedback.”

The left-wing company said in a statement:

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 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.

DeSantis responded to the news with a tweet, writing: “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,” the governor added.

GoFundMe’s initial statement announcing that it was taking down the fundraiser stated:

GoFundMe supports peaceful protests and we believe that was the intention of the Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser when it was first created.

We now have evidence from law enforcement that the previously peaceful demonstration has become an occupation, with police reports of violence and other unlawful activity.

To ensure GoFundMe remains a trusted platform, we work with local authorities to ensure we have a detailed, factual understanding of events taking place on the ground. Following a review of relevant facts and multiple discussions with local law enforcement and city officials, this fundraiser is now in violation of our Terms of Service (Term 8, which prohibits the promotion of violence and harassment) and has been removed from the platform.

Organizers provided a clear distribution plan for the initial $1M that was released earlier this week and confirmed funds would be used only for participants who traveled to Ottawa to participate in a peaceful protest. Given how this situation has evolved, no further funds will be directly distributed to the Freedom Convoy organizers — we will work with organizers to send all remaining funds to credible and established charities verified by GoFundMe.

All donors may submit a request for a full refund until February 19th, 2022 using this dedicated refund form.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey urged residents in his state to contact his office to let him know if they had “been victimized by a deceptive act or practice” by GoFundMe.

“#GoFundMe now won’t honor #FreedomConvoy donations and will instead redirect to other charities? 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!” Morrisey wrote. “According to their website, #GoFundMe is not automatically refunding the donations. Individuals interested in a refund can submit the form below if they do so by Feb 19, 2022. This will avoid the ‘redirecting’ of the donation.”


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Canada; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: 2024; antisocialmedia; attorneygeneral; bloggers; canada; canadiantruckers; deceit; desantis; desantis2024; fakeinvestigation; fascism; florida; fraud; freedomconvoy; gofundme; governor; itssoeasy; karlspooner; morrissey; ruralmichigan; westvirginia
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DeSantis showing leadership skills, again. 👍


21 posted on 02/05/2022 3:40:19 PM PST by proust (All posts made under this handle are, for the intents and purposes of the author, considered satire.)
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To: Impala64ssa

What kind of retard sends money to strangers?


22 posted on 02/05/2022 3:41:16 PM PST by humblegunner (Ain't drownin', Just wavin'...)
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To: RBW in PA

Actually it isn’t. Anyone can create a Strike account, link your bank account, and send BTC internationally for fractions of a cent per transaction.

Conservatives really need to embrace crypto.


23 posted on 02/05/2022 3:42:06 PM PST by Rural_Michigan
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To: McGruff
Can't wait for this guy to be president.

I believe we would have a real AG if DeSantis gets in, not some DC corrupted stooge again.

24 posted on 02/05/2022 3:42:24 PM PST by Karl Spooner
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To: Impala64ssa

I’m guessing their execs are spending the weekend drinking and/or drugging to try to take their minds off the legal hammers coming down on them from all directions as soon as the law firms open up on Monday.


25 posted on 02/05/2022 3:43:36 PM PST by JennysCool ("It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." - Mark Twain)
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To: Impala64ssa

Proud to say he’s my Governor!


26 posted on 02/05/2022 3:44:12 PM PST by GaryCrow
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To: Impala64ssa
You start the cleanup by requiring that GoFundMe issue a 1099 to the recipient. Then that entity has to justify the charity aspect of any donations or claim the proceeds as taxable income. Even if the feds don't go this route, individual states could consider it income subject to state income tax.

The precedent is Al Capone going to jail for tax evasion. It's a nice alternative to proving murder charges and related offenses.

27 posted on 02/05/2022 3:44:40 PM PST by Bernard (Jeffrey Toobin may turn out to be the most ethical character at CNN because he only abused himself.)
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To: Ge0ffrey

Brave is the browser I use.


28 posted on 02/05/2022 3:44:58 PM PST by rellic
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To: Striperman

Whoops. “Givesendgo” already raised 1.4 million in less than day.


29 posted on 02/05/2022 3:47:20 PM PST by Striperman (Striperman)
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To: traderrob6

Breech of contract


30 posted on 02/05/2022 3:49:41 PM PST by Striperman (Striperman)
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To: Impala64ssa

I understand GoFundMe does some good things for some people.

I understand Mussolini made the trains run on time.

I understand Hitler established a good road system and pushed for “the people’s car” so everyone could have a car.

I understand Capone funded soup kitchens for the poor and unemployed and played a part in getting expiration dates put on milk containers.

I understand that the incidental good you do doesn’t in and of itself outweigh the bad you do and that said bad can justify putting an end to your activity even if there is collateral damage to the good you do.


31 posted on 02/05/2022 3:50:27 PM PST by KrisKrinkle (Blessed be those who know the depth and breadth of ignorance. Cursed be those who don't.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Cancelled abnb yeaterday, finding alternates to amazon whenever possible, no twitter or fakebook and just sent this to staff:

“no more to gofundme, ever. we will support whom we will directly from now on, thx”

If anyone wants off spotify I oblige them immediately. Time we all realized we are many they are few. Takes discipline to run a reverse cancellation strategy. No matter how much I may agree w certain peeps on faux news, I won’t watch them. The many useful bits of info on screwtube do not justify giving them any clicks whatever. “Turn off, tune in turn out”


32 posted on 02/05/2022 3:50:39 PM PST by prov1813man
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To: Impala64ssa

This is mostly about the GFMe (LOL) duplicity, more than acting on it.

But it’s also not just mentioning Desantis, but West Virginia also.

Full disclosure, guys. Poor headline.


33 posted on 02/05/2022 3:57:24 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMV)
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To: NWFree

GFM should be convicted of Fraud. Felons cannot be involved in monetary transactions.


34 posted on 02/05/2022 3:59:52 PM PST by griswold3 (When chaos serves the State, the State will encourage chaos)
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To: TakebackGOP

I thought DJT already did


35 posted on 02/05/2022 4:01:00 PM PST by BigEdLB (Let’s go Brandon!)
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To: marktwain

So what do Canadians have to do to force a new election?


36 posted on 02/05/2022 4:08:14 PM PST by BigEdLB (Let’s go Brandon!)
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To: Impala64ssa

Elon Musk called Go fund me thugs and thieves


37 posted on 02/05/2022 4:09:19 PM PST by BigEdLB (Let’s go Brandon!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Or watch the super bowl... Are you man enough not to?


38 posted on 02/05/2022 4:19:43 PM PST by KierkegaardMAN (I never engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed man.)
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To: KierkegaardMAN
Or watch the super bowl... Are you man enough not to?

Colin Kaepernick is no longer in the NFL.

39 posted on 02/05/2022 4:22:25 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: gloryblaze

If so, is that not illegal?


40 posted on 02/05/2022 4:24:17 PM PST by EEGator
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