The disgraceful fundraising platform known as GoFundMe should perhaps be renamed to the more accurate “GoThugMe.” After interfering with Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal trial, this despicable organization has again gone off the rails to undermine the Canadian truckers, using scurrilous lies. No American should use the GoFundMe platform ever again — let this America-hating fraud earn revenue from America-haters alone.

John Klar

The rule of law is the foundation of our nation, and the criminal process loses integrity when government actors seek to compromise the rights of others. John Adams famously defended British troops who had fired upon colonists, to demonstrate to Europe and the world that America was not populated by savages. Perhaps now we are becoming the uncivilized barbarians that we were not in 1770.

Barack Obama really teed off this collapse. I was a criminal defense attorney, and we generally do not talk to the media, for ethical reasons. But “attorney” Barack Obama went off the ethical rails when he condemned George Zimmerman and agitated the nation before the prosecutor had even investigated the case. In doing so, Obama (and fellow henchman Eric Holder), as Arnold Trebach wrote in the American Spectator, “transformed the public image of an ordinary, Hispanic neighborhood watch leader into that of a violent racial hoodlum. As a result, his life, and that of many of his family members, has been placed in severe danger. Yet, we are all victims of the bizarre behavior of our national leaders.”

This is called “presuming guilt until proven innocent,” and many leftists have shamelessly shirked all rules of law in their determination to impose their new fascism upon us. GoFundMe is a private actor, but engaged in similar ideologically-motivated censorship against Kyle Rittenhouse:

A GoFundMe campaign launched to raise funds for Rittenhouse quickly disappeared from the platform, and officials from the crowdfunding platform confirmed they terminated the campaign and returned the donations to the [sic] contributions.

But then Rittenhouse was (appropriately) acquitted. As reported by Fox10 Phoenix:

GoFundMe issued a statement following the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on Friday, explaining that fundraisers for the teen would now be allowed on the site – more than a year after the company pulled down every defense fund for him on its platform…. In its statement, GoFundMe said that its terms of service “prohibit raising money for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime,” so “once charges for violent crime were brought against Kyle Rittenhouse in 2020,” they removed all of them…. But at the time that GoFundMe shut down all Rittenhouse defense funds in August of last year, they allowed countless fundraisers for the defense of other individuals accused of violent crimes…. One of them was a defense fund for Marc Wilson, who claims he was acting in self-defense when he shot and killed a 17-year-old girl in a purported road rage incident.

This hypocrisy is on display now as GoThugMe seizes the moneys donated for Canadian truckers in Ottawa. A statement the fundraising platform released on Feb. 4 reads:

“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.”

Sounds like Obama when he falsely condemned George Zimmerman — juries are the ones to hear facts in criminal trials, not financial businesses, political leaders, or ideological numbskulls like GoCheatme. Have BLM rioters been free to raise money on GoThugme? Of course.

This fascist trend is sweeping America. President Biden encourages businesses to quell free speech and other rights; Elizabeth Warren has called for censorship of books she doesn’t like; Joe Rogan is suddenly the bogeyman for speaking freely. In the case of GoThugMe, they are even cooperating with foreign governments to suppress freedoms in Canada:

Preliminary data shows there has been a decline in police-reported street crime since the protest began in downtown Ottawa, according to Blacklock’s Reporter. In a Feb. 4 post on Twitter, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson thanked GoFundMe for “listening to the plea made by the City and the Ottawa Police to no longer provide funds to the convoy organizers.” … “I’m hopeful that limiting their access to … funding and resources will restrict their ability to remain in Ottawa,” Watson said.

There is a pattern here: GoThugMe solicits and then accepts business from which it extracts a profit, then it sabotages the purpose of the fundraiser by cooperating with its customers’ opposition. Imagine hiring an attorney who switched sides like this. This is breach of contract, fraud, and an undermining of basic constitutional liberties to free speech and criminal defense — all with clueless arrogance by this despicable entity.

GoFundMe says it might give some money back: “The fundraising platform said in its Feb. 4 statement that donors may submit a request for a full refund of their donation until Feb. 19.”

This is amusing: does GoThugMe perceive it can unilaterally make up laws as easily as it does facts and so-called policies? Does it really think it won’t have to repay donated funds past a date it fashions for itself? It owes all the money back, plus punitive damages. (It has since changed this stance, refunding all monies).

I will never use GoFundMe for any efforts, nor contribute through the site — I boycott thug companies who hate America. Kyle Rittenhouse will successfully recover against GoThugMe, who (unlike Obama) must answer for sticking its nose into a criminal trial and undermining the young man’s rights:

Kyle Rittenhouse deserves much better than being demonized. America must give the young man the two things he needs most now — a chance to put this disturbing case behind him, and his inalienable right, post-acquittal, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

GoThugMe doesn’t want anyone to have those liberties, except black people. When Darrell Brooks ran over a bunch of white people in a mass murder of unarmed citizens (a little different from Rittenhouse), GoThugMe initially allowed a fundraiser.

The answer is not for GoThugMe to ban Darrell Brooks from raising funds for his legal defense (as it then did). The answer is for businesses and politicians to stay out of the business of slandering defendants (of any race) before trial, tainting the ethical administration of justice. The answer is for GoFundMe to go fund itself.

John Klar is an attorney and farmer residing in Brookfield. © Copyright True North Reports 2022. All rights reserved.