News

Brett Kappel speaks on the unconventional move by the Trump campaign to use GoFundMe to raise donations for emergency relief
Brett Kappel was quoted in a recent Associated Press article, titled “Trump’s campaign crowdfunded millions online in an untraditional approach to emergency relief”, written by James Pollard and published on October 14, 2024. In response to Trump’s assassination attempt in July and the aftermath from Hurricane Helene, Trump’s campaign turned to GoFundMe to raise donations to help those impacted. Brett Kappel says “It’s pretty unusual and actually quite odd” to take the approach of using a for-profit company and crowdfunding platform. Kappel goes on to explain that “It’s more typical to see candidates contribute campaign funds to IRS-approved nonprofits during natural disasters,” citing the example of U.S. Senator Tim Scott’s 2022 campaign donating to the American Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Although an uncommon practice, it does not violate campaign finance laws, and according to a GoFundMe spokesperson, the funds are in the process of being distributed to victims of these events.