Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is calling on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate GoFundMe after they ended a fundraiser for Canadian truckers that had ultimately reached approximately $10 million. Initially, as I reported, the crowdfunding platform announced that donors had to request a refund by February 19, or else the funds would be redistributed. After pushback and threats of investigation, the platform ultimately decided to automatically issue refunds.
The truckers have been protesting restrictions that are supposed to be about curbing rates of the Wuhan coronavirus, including vaccine mandates.
The senator announced to Maria Bartiromo during his appearance on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Features" that he had sent a letter to the FTC. He was responding to Bartiromo's outrage about GoFundMe and Facebook removing a group for the truckers planning to come to D.C., which entailed asking him "what are you going to do about it?"
His answer in part entailed calling out the "corporate media" and "Big Tech," when it comes to how "the thieves in Silicon Valley decided we don't like your politics, so A. we're going to take your money and B. we're going to give it to people we like. Listen, if anyone else did that, that is called theft," he shared.
"Today I sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking that the FTC open an investigation into GoFundMe into whether they've committed deceptive trade practices," he shared about the letter. "Because 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. They are deceiving consumers and it is wrong."
Cruz had also called out the "theft on behalf of GoFundMe" and called the Canadian truckers "heroes and patriots" who "are marching for your freedom and my freedom," saying they are not only defending Canada, but the United States as well, and that it is "courage on display." He went to remind that "government doesn't have the right to force you to comply to their arbitrary mandates. And they're standing up for freedom, and of course, big government hates it and is trying to crush them."
God bless these Canadian truck drivers. They’re defending Canada, America, and they’re standing up for freedom!
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 6, 2022
The government doesn't have the right to force you to comply to their arbitrary mandates. pic.twitter.com/bvoM3SSbnb
Cruz has also been tweeting support for the Canadian truckers and criticism of GoFundMe for several days.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 5, 2022
This includes Elon Musk, who has also supported the Canadian truckers, and who is making headlines for calling the crowdfunding platform "professional thieves."
We want to thank @gofundme for listening to our concerns as a City and a police service. The decision to withhold funding for these unlawful demonstrations is an important step and we call on all crowdfunding sites to follow.
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) February 5, 2022
While the Ottawa Police is calling on other crowdfunding platforms to likewise not allow people to freely give to the truckers and their "Freedom Convoy," they have found an alternate platform in GiveSendGo.