Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission that demanded an investigation into GoFundMe.
GoFundMe faced criticism last week after it banned–and then reinstated–a fundraiser dedicated to the “Freedom Convoy,” a large group of truckers who protested vaccine mandates in Canada.
Cruz called on the FTC to investigate the crowd fundraising platform for “potential illegal practices.” The Federal Trade Commission Act bans “unfair and deceptive acts or practices.”
“Recent actions by GoFundMe have given rise to questions as to whether the company has violated Federal law,” Cruz wrote in the letter. “For example, on Friday, February 4, 2022, GoFundMe announced that it was removing from its platform the ‘Freedom Convoy 2022 Fundraiser,’ a campaign to support the peaceful protest by truckers in Canada who oppose ongoing government lockdowns in response to COVID-19. In removing this fundraiser, GoFundMe also announced the company would “work with organizers to send all remaining funds to... charities chosen by the Freedom Convoy 2022 organizers and verified by GoFundMe.”
According to The Washington Times, Cruz told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo the platform betrayed donors.
“When people gave money, they gave money under the promise it would go to the Freedom Convoy, not to whatever left-wing political ideology GoFundMe and other Silicon Valley companies support,” Cruz said. “They are deceiving consumers and it is wrong.”
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