Site GoFundMe takes down a conservative campaigner’s page
Fundraising site GoFundMe has taken down a conservative campaigner’s page after he sought cash to investigate unfounded claims of voter fraud.
Matt Braynard, who worked as a political consultant on Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, tweeted that he had data on absentee ballots and early voters in swing states, and wanted to compare it with Social Security and change-of-address databases to identify illegal votes.
He said he had been unable to secure funding for his research from either Trump’s re-election campaign or the Republican party.
Braynard said he had managed to raise $220,000 (£167,000) before the page was taken down for breaking GoFundMe’s terms and conditions.
According to Politico, the company said the fundraiser had attempted “to spread misleading information about the election and has been removed”, adding that all donations would be refunded.
In response, Braynard said he had created a new page on a different fundraising platform.
Trump has made repeated claims of voter fraud – most often regarding mail ballots – and has spoken about the process being “rigged” throughout the campaign. But there is no evidence of systematic fraudulence or irregularities in this year’s election.
