Kyle Rittenhouse waits for the start of his trial at the Kenosha County Courthouse in Kenosha, Wisconsin. (Mark Hertzberg / Pool Photo via AP)

GoFundMe reverses ban on Kyle Rittenhouse fundraisers after acquittal

Virginia Aabram November 20, 10:49 AMNovember 20, 10:49 AM

GoFundMe is once again allowing fundraising for Kyle Rittenhouse’s legal fees after the platform removed his campaigns for violating its policy against aiding people accused of violent crimes.

The fundraising platform released a statement explaining that Rittenhouse’s acquittal of murder charges Friday permits him to use the platform to fundraise again as his situation no longer violates its terms and conditions against “raising money for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime.”

“Once charges for a violent crime were brought against Kyle Rittenhouse in 2020, GoFundMe removed fundraisers that were started for the defendant’s legal defense,” the company said in a statement. “We did this as part of our regular monitoring efforts; in addition to those fundraisers, our Trust & Safety team removed hundreds of other fundraisers between August and December 2020 — unrelated to Rittenhouse — that we determined were in violation of this long-standing policy.”

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GoFundMe said it is monitoring Rittenhouse fundraisers to ensure they are going to the intended source and that this “may slow down the withdrawal process.”

“People on all sides of various issues can use the platform to raise funds for many different things,” it said. “We don’t always share the beliefs of every user, which is why our decisions are guided by Terms of Service and compliance with the law.”

Twitter users were quick to point out that the platform didn’t take down bail money fundraisers for people accused of violent rioting in 2020 and, in some cases, allegedly donated money itself. Colorado Republican Rep. Ken Buck, a ranking member of the antitrust subcommittee, said GoFundMe could expect an inquiry from him.

Following an emotional trial and three and a half days of jury deliberation, Rittenhouse, 18, was found not guilty on five counts related to the fatal shootings of two men during a 2020 riot in Kenosha. While supporters saw the verdict as a victory for the right to self-defense, opponents argued that the decision “protects white supremacy.”

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GoFundMe did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for confirmation of these donations and how they would comply with its terms of service.

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Originally appeared at Washington Examiner

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