GoFundMe has chosen not to succumb to demands from some individuals to terminate a fundraising campaign aimed at assisting former President Donald Trump with his recent New York civil fraud ruling penalties.
Despite a wave of online backlash and calls for a boycott, the campaign has successfully raised over $965,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
“This fundraiser is currently within our terms of service,” Jalen Drummond, GoFundMe’s director of public affairs, stated.
Hans von Spakovsky, with a background as a Federal Election Commission member and currently at the helm of the Heritage Foundation’s Election Law Reform Initiative, found no legal fault with the fundraiser.
“This GoFundMe campaign can’t be considered campaign contributions to Donald Trump because it’s paying legal expenses that would exist irrespective of the campaign,” von Spakovsky explained. He further clarified that the legal costs being covered are distinct from campaign expenditures, thus not violating federal campaign finance laws.
The fundraiser was initiated by Elena Cardone, who is married to private equity fund manager Grant Cardone. On the fundraising page, Elena Cardone expressed her unwavering support for Trump, viewing the legal challenges he faces in New York as broader attacks on fundamental American principles of fairness and due process.
The fundraising effort follows a significant legal setback for Trump, with a civil fraud case ruling ordering him to pay $355 million, a figure that could exceed $450 million with interest. The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, responsible for the case, has yet to comment on the fundraising campaign.
Critics on social media have ridiculed the GoFundMe campaign, with some calling for its removal and questioning the appropriateness of a billionaire resorting to public fundraising for legal expenses. Despite these criticisms, some users have defended the campaign, opposing the boycott calls and criticizing the cancel culture.
Trump’s financial standing, as estimated by Forbes last year, includes a net worth of around $2.6 billion and over $640 million in liquid assets, though Trump himself claims his fortune is significantly larger.
In addition to the financial penalty, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron imposed a three-year prohibition on Trump conducting business in New York. Engoron’s ruling highlighted the defendants’ persistent denial of wrongdoing, despite evidence of asset value inflation for profit.
Trump plans to appeal the decision, which arrives amid other legal challenges, including a $83.3 million penalty from E. Jean Carroll’s defamation case. Addressing the backlash against the GoFundMe campaign, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung criticized the opposition, including from Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, for their complaints.
Trump is currently facing 91 criminal counts across four indictments, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Last year, he utilized $48 million from Super PACs to cover legal expenses.
