In the face of the Canadian government admitting to telling GoFundMe to confiscate the $9 million donations to Freedom Convoy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that he is spearheading an investigation to the crowdfunding site for its "fraudulent" actions.
Right Side Broadcasting Network reported that DeSantis will be working with Attorney General Ashley Moody to investigate GoFundMe's "deceptive practices" against the Freedom Convoy. The Freedom Convoy is a group of truckers from across Canada who have joined together in protest of the COVID-19 mandates, especially on vaccination for those crossing the U.S.-Canada border.
"It is a fraud for @gofundme to commandeer $9M in donations sent to support truckers and give it to causes of their own choosing," DeSantis said on Twitter on Friday.
"I will work with @AGAshleyMoody to investigate these deceptive practices - these donors should be given a refund," he added.
Ottawa City Mayor Jim Watson "proudly" admitted in Twitter on Friday to requesting the Freedom Convoy's donations collected through GoFundMe be withheld for holding an "unlawful protest," which the platform obliged to. The truckers converged in Ottawa last January 29, forming 45 miles of blockade along the border, prompting Watson to call it a "hostage."
GoFundMe announced that the funds will not be given to the Freedom Convoy for violating their terms of service against violence. The fundraising platform said it collected "evidence" and "police reports" that the truckers have already become violent, though they did not specify what these were.
The Freedom Convoy, on the other hand, have shifted to GiveSendGo in creating another fundraiser for the truckers' resources for food, transportation, and other needs.
"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," the platform said.
GoFundMe initially announced that the confiscated funds will be distributed to "verified charities" but eventually caved in to global backlash for doing so. The crowdsourcing giant then released an updated statement stating that the funds would be automatically refunded to donors. Despite this, DeSantis has decided to pursue investigations against them.
"The update we issued earlier (below) 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. We will automatically refund all contributions directly--donors do not need to submit a request. You can expect to see your refund within 7-10 business days," GoFundMe explained.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Police announced on Monday that it will arrest anyone who would support the Freedom Convoy who are situated in Parliament Hill.
"IMPORTANT: Anyone attempting to bring material supports (gas, etc.) to the demonstrators could be subject to arrest. Enforcement is underway," the Ottawa Police declared.
The announcement comes after Watson declared a state of emergency in Ottawa on Friday. While the police has, over the weekend, issued at least 450 tickets to the truckers to "reduce the impacts of demonstrators in the downtown core, respond to calls for service, and improve neighborhood safety." There are now only 500 trucks remaining in Ottawa as a result.
