Patterico's Pontifications

5/3/2015

GoFundMe Suspends Fundraising Account For Baltimore Six

Filed under: General — Dana @ 8:09 am



[guest post by Dana]

It took only 40 minutes for GoFundMe to suspend the fundraising account put up by the police union on behalf of the six officers charged in the Freddie Gray case. The hoped-for funds were expected to help defray legal costs as well as help with living expenses for the officers and their families during their unpaid suspensions.

Asked to comment on the removal of this campaign, a spokeswoman told Vocativ, “GoFundMe cannot be used to benefit those who are charged with serious violations of the law.”

This policy was in place before last week’s revision which now includes “discriminatory acts”.

Except there would appear to be a problem with GoFundMe and consistency:

[W]e found plenty of campaigns that violate the company’s terms of service. We turned up a campaign in Europe that’s already raised $1,500 for Pegida, Germany’s anti-Islamic, neo-fascist movement, as well as one supporting the defense fund of an Idaho man facing felony charges and five years in prison. A New Jersey deli owner is raising money to save his business after he lost customers for hanging up a sign in his storefront that read “Celebrate your white heritage in March, White History Month.” He’s so far banked $1,900.

Further, remember convicted felon, “hot” Jeremy Meeks? When I posted about him, he had recently been arrested and was facing 11 new felony charges, including possession of a “9mm round of ammunition, an unregistered and loaded Springfield Armory.45 caliber XD(M) semi-automatic handgun along with two extended magazines for the firearm and possession of marijuana”, for which he received a two year sentence.

At the time, I wrote:

Jeremy Meeks’ mother set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for his legal defense. And, not surprisingly, given the reaction to his mug shot, has raised $3,879 raised by 199 people in 2 days.

Within a few days, that number was well on its way to doubling.

Untitled-2

When asked specifically about the Meeks’ campaign and apparent inconsistencies in adhering to company policy, GoFundMe had no response.

–Dana

UPDATE: Thanks to Dana for getting this important story up so quickly. I think people should spread the message that GoFundMe should be boycotted. If you have a Twitter account, go retweet this:

60 Responses to “GoFundMe Suspends Fundraising Account For Baltimore Six”

  1. Hello.

    Dana (86e864)

  2. GoFundMe is a leftist enterprise and has been found out.

    I expect another option to appear quickly, just as other options to “Angie’s List” have appeared quickly

    Mike K (90dfdc)

  3. people need to be able to help each other fund defenses against failmerica’s depraved and corrupt justice system

    happyfeet (831175)

  4. The Fraternal Order of Police tweeted that they were currently looking for other avenues to fundraise for the officers.

    Dana (86e864)

  5. they should have a pancake supper

    everybody loves pancakes Dana

    happyfeet (831175)

  6. Yum, happyfeet!

    What’s troubling most, and I sure hope the post reflects it, is the inconsistency of GoFundMe’s enforcement of their policies. It’s willy-nilly at best. Given their stand on “discrimination” and now an apparent contradiction with those facing criminal charges, I would never use them as a fundraising platform. Equal-opportunity and equal-denials across the board should be the standard.

    Dana (86e864)

  7. at best it looks like gofundme never had a clear idea of what kind of business it wanted to run

    they’re thinking about stuff now that should’ve been worked out in the business plan stage

    if i were one of their investors i’d be feeling a little hornswoggled

    happyfeet (831175)

  8. MikeK@2 – A “leftist” site that allowed almost a million dollars to be raised for the pizzeria in Indiana that closed because of backlash about the owner’s stance on gay marriage? That allowed hundreds of thousands to be raised in support of Darren Wilson for his Ferguson defense? I think that you jumped to some conclusions about more conservative victimhood without really thinking things through.

    Jonny Scrum-half (09740c)

  9. jonny’s point is misguided. He is citing the two examples of fundraising that were broadcast on many popular left leaning blogs as Very Bad Events. The entire point of that campaign was to pressure gofundme to stop allowing such fundraising to occur in the future, which has come. That campaign worked, and now the campaign is used as proof that the campaign did not even happen?

    It is always disturbing to me to see charity events thwarted unless they are outright fraud or money laundering. People supporting the defense funds of these officers are only trying to do a selfless thing. Only the most angry don’t wish the officers to have their fair trial, which means they need lawyers. I don’t want to live in a society where someone I disagree with (or someone who disagrees with me) can pull the rug out from under a charity at the worst possible time.

    We all know that once such an effort is advertised, cutting it off will have a major impact on the fundraising. But also, the bad guys learn the wrong lesson, and can apply their pressure to more and more things. What happens if Visa or Chase or Google say they cannot associate with someone based on their religious viewpoint? That seems ridiculous, yet the point of this post is that we have inched in that direction. It makes the political climate yet more volatile. It raises the stakes needlessly. It takes the argument out of the realm of words and ideas.

    Jonny doesn’t mind, but I think reasonable people should.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  10. Dustin is correct on the real issue at hand and that is the bully-boy tactics of the left. They are, in effect, using the tactics of the Mafia. “Nice business you have there, be a shame if anything should happen to it.” If the business doesn’t play ball, they try to shut it down. If another business tries to help, they try to shut that one down as well. They preach tolerance but practice intolerance.

    The left will, as they always do, eventually go too far and then the backlash will come.

    Thresherman (0e119e)

  11. I think that you jumped to some conclusions about more conservative victimhood without really thinking things through.

    Nope. I don’t think I’m the one jumping here. They still have their fundraising up for the rioters’ bail.

    Other sites will appear and you can still donate to left wing causes at GoFundMe.

    Mike K (90dfdc)

  12. Jonny,

    On a separate thread you kept accusing me of prejudice on the issue of the Baltimore cops even though I don’t know much about the case and have consequently not opined on it. The very first comment on that thread that was not mine was yours and began this way:

    Do you consider the behavior of police who kill a suspect while in custody to be an example of “thuggish” behavior? Or do you do all you can to try to justify that conduct, giving every benefit of the doubt to the police?

    You didn’t answer these questions — and perhaps the reason you didn’t was because you had zero evidence that I fit the bad stereotype suggested in the questions, but you wanted to throw out that suggestion anyway because it gave you some kind of emotional satisfaction. If you had a different reason for asking those questions feel free to let us know.

    Let me turn that tactic around on you.

    Do you assume without evidence that every suspect who comes to harm in police custody comes to that harm as the result of deliberate police misconduct? Do you do all you can do to try to find that they engaged in misconduct, even before any evidence of misconduct emerges?

    Patterico (9c670f)

  13. MikeK@2 – A “leftist” site that allowed almost a million dollars to be raised for the pizzeria in Indiana that closed because of backlash about the owner’s stance on gay marriage? That allowed hundreds of thousands to be raised in support of Darren Wilson for his Ferguson defense? I think that you jumped to some conclusions about more conservative victimhood without really thinking things through.

    Jonny Scrum-half,

    As others have pointed out, they have changed their policies and are evidently responding to pressure. I doubt they would allow the above-mentioned campaigns today.

    Do you disagree? Then please articulate the principled distinction between the campaigns you referenced and the Baltimore campaign they yanked. GoFundMe has not bothered to articulate a principled distinction despite being questioned by the press. Perhaps you can invent one for them? I’m sure their spokesmen would be grateful if you could do them that solid.

    Patterico (9c670f)

  14. let’s be clear though

    every penny you give these sadsack baltimore popothugs is a penny their thuggy thuggy union gets to use for other purposes

    happyfeet (831175)

  15. happyfeet,

    they are innocent until proven guilty, even (especially) if they belong to a group you are prejudiced against.

    I do not know of the thuggish actions their union has taken in this case. All I am aware of are some rather mild comments about the process deviating from norms (like the investigation concluding before prosecution, among other issues).

    But by all means, do not give them any of your pennies. This is America, and we should be able to choose who we associate with and support peacefully.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  16. Dustin,

    happyfeet just hates cops, and calls them “pigs” and such. He has subscribed to the Occupy view of law enforcement and will be prejudiced against them in every case, and will articulate that prejudice in an ugly way. So asking him for specifics about things this particular union has done is pointless. He knows of none. He just has his prejudice.

    Not in my name, happyfeet. Your prejudice is not shared by everyone else and it’s not shared by me.

    Too many people are silent about it but not me.

    Enjoy the irony of that?

    Patterico (9c670f)

  17. my point is that they don’t have any actual need of charity

    this is why the popothugs pay union dues in the first place

    obviously the police unions is tickled pink at an opportunity to offset their costs

    and yes there’s a definite market for people who have a need to express popothug solidarity through donations

    that was the whole raison d’etre for gofundme

    but you have to remember that ultimately, gofundme is a fundamentally failmerican organization

    and failmericans are incompetent losers anymore

    happyfeet (831175)

  18. See, Dustin?

    Patterico (9c670f)

  19. there should be a separate gofundme just for to help Jeremy with tattoo removal i think

    happyfeet (831175)

  20. gofundme got rid of the baltimore looter thugs page.
    I think they are going to have trouble with their new rules unless they just say
    no funding for judicial cases.

    seeRpea (81fcfe)

  21. A worse one: Money for the Sterlings.

    http://www.gofundme.com/lg8xxs

    On January 26, 2015, Jeffrey Sterling was convicted on 9 counts under the Espionage Act for leaking classified information regarding a CIA operation to author James Risen who in 2006, published a book titled “State of War”.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  22. I think our host had a small rant about the thing that Jeffrey Stirling exposed to Risen and the NYT.

    https://patterico.com/2006/08/18/yesterdays-court-decision-proves-the-nsa-disclosures-harmed-national-security/#more-5020

    for example

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  23. Patterico@12 – the first part of your question confuses me, but I’ll be direct in response to the second part. No. For example, I never made a big deal out of the Ferguson case because the facts were never clear to me. In the Eric Garner case, I think that the police overreacted but I have no doubt that the officers had zero intention even to injure Garner, much less kill him.
    Let me be even more clear – I think that most of the police killings come not from “deliberate” misconduct, but rather jumpy trigger fingers that are likely the result of insufficient training and a mindset that the police are in mortal danger at every second in any interaction with a member of the public. In other words, an “us against them” mindset, almost like an occupying force, which is overstated in many cases but is inflamed by the number of guns on the street.
    Finally – and the remainder is gut-level stuff, because I don’t have first-hand experience – I think that the “deliberate misconduct” by police is more in the nature of enforcing hierarchy and “putting [the suspect] in his/her place.” Thus, if you run from the police, when you’re caught you’re going to pay a physical price for taking that action, whether or not it’s justified at the time. The other part of the “deliberate misconduct” is an analog to the Baltimore “no snitches” culture, where police officers turn a blind eye to misconduct by their co-workers, and the union rules are set up to allow officers special protection in investigations.

    Jonny Scrum-half (09740c)

  24. Patterico@13 – I don’t know the answer to your questions. Maybe they did change their policies. It’s their right to do so, even if it’s in response to an outcry by “leftist” organizations. That’s the market at work. No doubt the same would occur but in reverse if there were calls to fund a Mumia appeal. (By the way, if seeRpea@20 is correct, GoFundMe is no longer allowing funding for the “thugs.”)

    A little off-topic, but there’s a documentary on Netflix called “Made in America: Crips and Bloods,” about the LA riots in 1965 and 1992, and the rise of gang culture in “south central.” The current and former gang members who discuss those topics state their arguments very well, and they are worth listening to even if you ultimately don’t find them persuasive.

    Jonny Scrum-half (09740c)

  25. Yes Patterico, I guess I do see.

    Dustin (2a8be7)

  26. we’re talking away and me, I don’t know what i’m to say

    but I’ll say it anyway

    today’s another day

    to find you

    shying away

    but i’m just a public service employee union

    go fund me

    gofundme!

    happyfeet (831175)

  27. woo woo!

    happyfeet (831175)

  28. it’s a thin-blue line and it’s all there is between the mob and civil society. They should be praised and supported, not pilloried.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  29. mindlessly, even

    happyfeet (831175)

  30. “I’m sure their spokesmen would be grateful if you could do them that solid.”

    I assume that was for Johnny.

    I quit reading happyfeet’s comments months ago.

    I think that cops can be arrogant and abusive but the cops in Baltimore have been under siege for years. I bought the first season of The Wire because I read that it was so accurate a depiction of Baltimore. I watched the first episode and don’t expect to watch any more. Too depressing.

    I donated to GoFundMe once and will not be back. I am an agnostic but worry about Christian bashing by the authorities who have discovered the political power of gays.

    I sent money to the family of Stacy Koon while he was in prison because I thought he saved Rodney King’s life.

    I also testified against the LAPD and for a patient of mine who was a clear case of a bad shooting. It wrecked his life and he was totally innocent. I took care of him for years. He got nothing from that jury but it was before the video that made King all that money.

    Mike K (90dfdc)

  31. 7 paragraphs starting with “I” out of 7

    doctors.

    happyfeet (831175)

  32. This should be noted on the bulletin-board of every cop-shop in the country:

    “Get in trouble with bogus charges, don’t expect any help from gofundme.com!”

    It would be a shame if any of those gofundme people needed a police response to a situation –
    wouldn’t it?

    askeptic (efcf22)

  33. Dana (86e864) — 5/3/2015 @ 9:13 am

    Dana, the Left thrives on subjective reasoning – can’t have anything to do with those evil facts, that’s being judgemental.

    askeptic (efcf22)

  34. …a mindset that the police are in mortal danger at every second in any interaction with a member of the public…”
    …which seems to be confirmed if one confined themselves to Left media where it is impossible not to stumble over covert and overt threats against the constabulary.

    askeptic (efcf22)

  35. “…almost like an occupying force, which is overstated in many cases but is inflamed by the number of guns on the street.”

    In the many hell-holes that are Urban Democrat Power Centers, absent that “occupying force” no right minded, law-abiding citizen would remain to subject themselves to the depredations of the mob in the street, the brigands stealing everything that’s not nailed down and frequently what is too – including the nails.
    Strange though, how this doesn’t happen in large cities in those rare cases where two things come together:
    1) Conservative governance;
    2) Wide-spread (Shall Issue) CCW.
    You may decry the “guns on the street” carried by the cops, but that’s all that stands between you and the mob when you’ve effectively disarmed the law-abiding population, and in result of that, they’ve left. So, you fear the guns in the hands of the police, who have to account for every “draw” from their holster, and every “round” they expend; but you have no concern for the guns that exist in the hands of thugs – brigands, drug-dealers, etc – hands that have no compulsion against using that deadly force against anyone that stands in their way, including the police.

    We have met the enemy, and he’s a Leftist.

    askeptic (efcf22)

  36. Sorry, happyfeet, “mindless” should be used to describe the impact to civil society of mob violence, not-thought-through bromides about rights not defined anywhere in the constitution. Ponder that.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  37. oh i will ponder it this i promise you

    happyfeet (831175)

  38. Yeah, that’s the thing about doctors, police, and firefighters. They actually do things to help people. More than most people talking about this. Including me.

    Simon Jester (c9ebdd)

  39. Hello, Simon Jester!

    DRJ (e80d46)

  40. I wanted to say that I so enjoyed your and Dana’s commentary. This whole conversation has been filled with instances of hypocritical unpleasantness during which some individuals who stated that they hated bigotry displayed it. And when called on it, responded with that ridiculous “clown nose on / clown nose off” nonsense that irritates me so about Jon Stewart.

    I so dislike the concept of “fashion” in politics, but that is where we are (look at this entire subject from current politicians now and ten years ago). It’s flip-flopping when you don’t like the politician, and it’s “evolving” when you do…yet mostly it remains posturing. And freedoms slowly but surely leach away. Perhaps “leech way” is a better term.

    Anyway, what you and several other people have done here is not respond to silly and immature provocations, as I sadly do, and instead created something of value to everyone. I salute you.

    Thank you.

    Simon Jester (c9ebdd)

  41. it seems we are rewarding dysfunctional behavior and proscribing correct behavior,

    narciso (ee1f88)

  42. “7 paragraphs starting with “I” out of 7

    doctors.”

    Good pickup. However, this doesn’t mean I’ll start reading your comments.

    Mike K (90dfdc)

  43. How is gofundme any different that a pizza company or a cupcake emporium?
    Shouldn’t they be forced to bow down and serve everyone or no one?
    gofundme has no protected objection that I can see

    steveg (fed1c9)

  44. steveg,

    It’s simple:

    gay wedding = good
    being a cop = bad

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  45. I agree with hf on funding the union.
    1. who knows what those idiots will actually do with the money.
    2. the union is supposed to take care of these types of things… its not like the union has no cash on hand for this, and lets be straight, next month they get another huge check from Baltimore.
    3. Cops and firefighters on the whole do good work. They are way overpriced per unit though.
    Pretty soon we will only be able to afford a chief, a spokeshole, and some guy to sign the pension checks.
    4. I’d be in favor of crowdfunding the cops families directly… if accused criminals can get free phone calls to fill their commissary accounts and maybe make bail… well cops should get their shot too regardless to whether or not their unprofessionalism unintentionally resulted in a death.
    5. My opinion is that as far as legal defense goes, I’ve already paid for that via my taxes being redirected to the union. I also figure cops are pretty clannish, make good money and have the wherewithal to donate plenty.

    That said, aside from my feelings about unions, I think the cops were overcharged. I heard the Mayor of Baltimore’s voice crowing over all the singing and joy from the people who felt they were about to get justice. Boy. What a mess this is going to be when everyone of those cops gets at worst a slap on the wrist..
    I share David Clarke’s contemptuousness towards Ms Mosby who as hf noted was good looking until she started lecturing and posturing.
    1/2 of the cops in trouble in the Baltimore Freddy Gray incident are black. Recently two black cops in ATL shot a black woman who was handcuffed in the back of their car. Somehow she’d hidden a pistol … down there… that was not found due to the need for a female officer to poke around and find the firearm… so she flips the cuffs, digs out her pistol and opens fire. So she goes for 3 misses and then gets shot dead.
    If their families need money fine, but will I ever allow my money to be wrung through the union? Nope

    steveg (fed1c9)

  46. Kevin M,

    What about a gay cop? Does he always struggle with inner turmoil and identity issues ?

    Dana (86e864)

  47. 4. I’d be in favor of crowdfunding the cops families directly…

    I like this idea. It removes any conflict of interest or possible tait of suspicion of where the money would end up, and further, I think the public would respond more favorably to families needing help with day to day living costs. But perhaps there would need to be some proof or assurance of need?

    Dana (86e864)

  48. Question.
    Is Baltimore FOP the actual union with which the city of Baltimore negotiates salary, working conditions, etc. A really quick check did not come up with any others.

    If they are, then Happyfeet’s dislike of them is not offbase…they are part of the problem themselves like all the other public sector unions.

    That said, I do not think they would use donations for anything other than legal bills, which will doubtless be immense. For those thinking of donating this seems to be the most recent info from their twitter feed…
    https://mobile.twitter.com/FOP3/status/594895708882411521

    kishnevi (9c4b9c)

  49. Powerline has a good write up on the depth of Ms Mosby’s hypocrisy
    http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/05/marilyn-mosby-hypocrite-grandstander-ideologue.php

    steveg (fed1c9)

  50. Powerline has a good write up on the depth of Ms Mosby’s hypocrisy
    http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/05/marilyn-mosby-hypocrite-grandstander-ideologue.php

    steveg (fed1c9)

  51. it was so good I linked it twice!!

    steveg (fed1c9)

  52. The MSM’s dishonest coverage of the riots in Baltimore over Freddie Gray’s death while in police custody has created the falsehood that police brutality is a normal, everyday occurrence. But in a nation of over 300 million people, it’s moronic to pick a few isolated incidents to bolster a pathetically deficient argument.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  53. You probably intended to link to this

    https://patterico.com/2014/06/22/on-not-being-like-men/

    but you posted this

    https://patterico.com/index.php?s=jeremy+meeks&submit=Search

    I am sick and tired of lazy Web authors who post searches instead of actual links.

    Rich Rostrom (d2c6fd)

  54. You probably intended to link to this

    https://patterico.com/2014/06/22/on-not-being-like-men/

    but you posted this

    https://patterico.com/index.php?s=jeremy+meeks&submit=Search

    I am sick and tired of lazy Web authors who post searches instead of actual links.
    Rich Rostrom (d2c6fd) — 5/3/2015 @ 9:58 pm

    Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Because of technical limitations on my end, I have emailed Patterico and asked him to correct the link.

    I’m sorry you’re sick and tired of lazy Web authors. I’m sick and tired of rude louts. I hope we both get over our maladies.

    With that, while you are correct that I mis-linked, you are incorrect that I am lazy. I’m just fallible.

    Dana (86e864)

  55. I fixed it. Rich seems grumpy which is unusual for him.

    Patterico (8bf811)

  56. So, isn’t GoFundMe in violation of some statute or ordinance by not even handedly applying its own policies?

    Can’t we prevail on one of the Koch brothers, or similar conservatives, to start a similar business that won’t discriminate against Christians, the cops, and anyone else the Left doesn’t like?

    rochf (f3fbb0)

  57. askeptic@35 – Please give me examples of the cities that meet your criteria. I’d be interested to see if their crime rates match-up favorably with those of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Jersey City – presumably all “hell holes” under your definition.

    Jonny Scrum-half (a119ad)

  58. GoFundMe GoFuckYou

    ThirdWorldMan (f5e090)

  59. So, isn’t GoFundMe in violation of some statute or ordinance by not even handedly applying its own policies?

    No, they’re their policies, and they can apply them any way they like. That said, it doesn’t seem to me that they are not applying them fairly; can you point to a campaign that violates their policies, and that they did not take down once it was brought to their attention?

    Milhouse (bdebad)

  60. Better use some chum, Milhouse.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)


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