House Republicans launch probe into GoFundMe over ‘Freedom Convoy’ fundraiser

House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) on Thursday called on House Democrats to hold a hearing on what they said was GoFundMe’s selective discrimination in canceling the “Freedom Convoy” campaign by Canadian truckers.

“We write to request that you hold a hearing to examine yet another incident of Big Tech silencing certain viewpoints in potentially unlawful ways. This time GoFundMe Inc. is selectively discriminating against certain people by cancelling their ability to organize funds through its crowdfunding platform,” Scalise and Comer wrote in their letter to House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.).

They wrote that GoFundMe also “attempted to defraud hardworking taxpayers of millions of dollars in donations received” in support of an organization they said was promoting “individual freedom.”

The letter added that the company was trying to “divert that money away from them and instead funnel it to other unrelated causes.”

The Republican lawmakers argued that “for some in the Big Tech industry, far-left violence is merely speech, while conservative speech is treated as violence.”

In a separate letter, the Republican lawmakers wrote to GoFundMe CEOs to express their concern over the company censoring individuals who they said are “peacefully challenging the science and merits of some of these COVID mandates.”

They wrote it was also signaling to others who speak out against mandates that their “voices will be silenced.”

Scalise and Comer have called on GoFundMe to provide all documents and communications related to the decision to remove the “Freedom Convoy 2022” page from their website, including the platform’s policies on diverting donated funds to other causes that it deems credible. 

GoFundMe did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.

This comes as senior Canadian officials have urged U.S. officials to stay out of the country’s domestic affairs after some Republicans voiced their support for the “Freedom Convoy” protests in Ottawa.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is also investigating GoFundMe’s decision to halt a fundraiser for Canadian truckers protesting COVID-19 mandates, and his probe will determine whether the company is violating the state’s Deceptive Trade Practices Act.