Texas attorney general announces investigation into GoFundMe after donation site shuts down fundraiser for Canadian trucker protests
Business InsiderOct 19, 2021
The Facts
The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has frozen a fundraising campaign for the independent investigative journalism website The Grayzone, known for opposing the US' foreign policy doctrine.
GoFundMe refused to transfer the $90K raised on its platform for the Grayzone Project. Editor-in-chief Max Blumenthal asked why it had not received the funds collected, to which GoFundMe replied, "Due to some external concerns, we need to review your fundraiser to make sure it complies with our Terms of Service."
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
Even those who don't agree with Grayzone's politics should be outraged and alarmed. The "anti-disinformation" complex is close to perfecting the application of financial pressure, finishing a job begun thirteen years ago when PayPal froze donations after Wikileaks got a letter from the US Dept. of State. This is a secretive public-private scheme to erode free speech, and all citizens should be alarmed.
Pro-establishment narrative
The Grayzone is not a freedom-fighting investigative journalism outlet, but rather a repeat offender with respect to spreading misinformation about major foreign military stories such as the gas attacks in Syria. The outlet's leadership has appeared in Russian state media, which is problematic to say the least.
