Donald Trump GoFundMe has addressed the concerns surrounding a fundraising page created after Donald Trump’s civil fraud judgment.
In response to inquiries from Newsweek, a spokesperson from the platform affirmed that the page, established for the former president on Friday subsequent to Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision that Trump would be liable for approximately $355 million in penalties for fraud, complies with its terms and services.
This confirmation comes despite individuals expressing apprehensions about the page on various social media platforms.
A ruling on Friday concluded that former President Donald Trump and key executives at The Trump Organization were guilty of fraud for inflating the value of assets to secure more favorable deals from lenders and insurers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed the lawsuit, originally seeking $250 million in damages. However, James later upped the amount to $370 million, along with interest. Under New York State law, a 9 percent interest rate applies to the sum of damages.
Following the court’s decision, James stated that including pre-judgment interest, the total judgment now surpasses $450 million. She emphasized that this amount will continue to accrue until the judgment is settled.
In response to the ruling, Elena Cardone, wife of real estate magnate Grant Cardone, launched a GoFundMe page titled “Stand with Trump; Fund the $355M Unjust Judgment.”
As of the morning of February 19, the fundraiser has garnered approximately $414,000 in donations since its inception.This development marks a significant chapter in the legal battles surrounding Trump and his business empire.
Several individuals took to X, formerly Twitter, expressing concerns that a particular page might be violating the platform’s regulations regarding fundraising for individuals convicted of crimes, urging for its closure.
One user, Ginny McDonald, tweeted: “Hey @gofundme I think you have to shut this down. Trump can’t profit from his crime according to your guidelines.”
Another user commented: “Hey @gofundme, isn’t it against your rules to raise money for criminals?”
A third user chimed in: “Dear @gofundme, the Trump fundraiser seems to violate your rules unless you’re willing to fund individuals who have been convicted of financial and violent crimes, as Trump has.”
Yet another user stated: “If this is accurate, Trump is breaching your rules by accepting donations to cover his legal fees. ‘Donald Trump GoFundMe does not allow campaigns for the legal defense of financial crimes.’ Trump is in violation of your terms and any funds collected shouldn’t go to him.”
Experts have also expressed concerns about the fundraiser. Former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi remarked, “The New York fraud trial opinion underscores a significant theme: Trump World operates as a financial illusion orchestrated by a clan of con artists and loyalist employees.
The GoFundMe initiative emerges as a predictable extension of this pattern—and it flouts the platform’s stringent guidelines, likely inviting legal action including injunctions or other civil remedies. Moreover, there could be criminal ramifications if the sponsors of the Donald Trump GoFundMe are aware that their actions constitute fraud. In essence, it’s another chaotic situation associated with Trump!”
Jalen Drummond, the director of public affairs, informed Newsweek that the fundraiser currently complies with our terms of service.
Trump labeled Engoron as “crooked” and James as “totally corrupt” in a post on Truth Social last Friday. His lawyer, Christopher Kise, informed Newsweek that Trump intends to challenge the judge’s ruling in James’ “unjust political campaign against the leading presidential candidate of the United States.”
In the meantime, James hailed the judge’s decision as “a significant triumph” in a post on X last Friday. She added in a subsequent post: “Regardless of one’s size, wealth, or power, no one is exempt from the law. Not even Donald Trump.”