A crowdfunding effort for a wall at the southern border reached an impressive number, but it may have to give all that money back.
The GoFundMe campaign started by Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee Air Force veteran and motivational speaker, sought to provide $1 billion to fund President Donald Trump’s border wall.
If all 63 million Americans who voted for President Trump donated, each would only have to pay $80 to reach the goal.
As of Friday, the campaign raised just over $20 million, but it’s not all that Kolfage hoped for.
The campaign, GoFundMe said, was designed to be all or nothing.
“When the campaign was created, the campaign organizer specifically stated on the campaign page, ‘If we don’t reach our goal or come significantly close we will refund every single penny,'” GoFundMe told CNN. “He also stated on the campaign page, ‘100% of your donations will go to the Trump Wall. If for ANY reason we don’t reach our goal we will refund your donation.'”
“That did not happen. This means all donors will receive a refund,” GoFundMe told CNN.
However, the campaign page was still up early Saturday and accepting donations, and it’s unclear when it will be taken down. GoFundMe said it is up to the campaign organizer to determine when it will be shut down.
Kolfage said that he has determined that the federal government is not in a place to accept the money, so he intends on having a team to build a wall privately.
In place of the GoFundMe campaign, Kolfage set up a 501(c)(4) non-profit Florida Corporation named “We Build the Wall, Inc.” and is asking donors to redirect their contributions to the organization.
But he will honor the refund, he said on the campaign page, if donors choose not to move to the new platform.
“When I created this fundraiser, I said if we did not reach our goal we will refund donors. I am honoring that commitment today. We will promptly refund your donation unless you tell us you approve our new plan for action,” Kolfage said.
(SOurce: CNN)
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10 Responses
I have no objections to these people who support the Trump wall paying for it if such is allowed under the law. Better their money than taxpayers’s money which would further increase the growing Trump deficit.
Yaakov Doe, you know what will reduce the deficit? How about cutting back on the amount of illegal aliens in this country who work for cash off the books, strain our law enforcement agencies, and mooch off the entitlement welfare programs that account for one of the biggest expenses of the US Government?
Further reporting shows that this fellow has raised money dishonestly, a con.
please correct your article. Go to his page and see what is actually happening. Every person that donated got an email asking them if they want a refund or want to join them to actually build the wall. They are using the funds to build as many portions as they can on private property. Each donor is given the option to join or get a refund. People that are donating now are donating to actually build the wall, not have the government do it.
Trump deficit? Would you rather be paying for all the medical care, housing, food stamps, and schools for the thousands who are crossing the border illegally? When your family came here, didn’t they have to show that they would not need the support of the government, and that they were healthy, and had no criminal record?
yaakovdoe, there is no legal way civilian funding can be designated for the construction of the wall. This has been addressed numerous time by many news outlets and can be substantiated by a simple google.
FAKE NEWS!! YWN, look at the website that you posted!! Surprised that you joined the likes of CNN and became part of the FAKE NEWS media.
Private citizens are not allowed to give money to the government unless congress agrees to accept the money for this purpose otherwise we could have such things as people raising money for a monument to Hitler on public lands and other things a majority of people would find objectionable.
Congress has many times approved private money for public benefit like accepting private money to fix ellis Island and the statue of Liberty
After this and the homeless guy it should be changed to gorefundme
The new mission is to have civilians donate and build the wall themselves just another illegal proposal by Kolfage. Of course people will continue to donate since fact checking is too much of an effort for them.