Gray Rohrer
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis wants GoFundMe, the online site allowing people to fundraise for various causes, to promote the Florida Disaster Fund and its website in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
“It would be beneficial to folks across the United States if you would lever the resources of your organization to assist in pushing the Florida Disaster Fund website far and wide. Therefore, I am requesting that you put information regarding the Florida Disaster Fund front and center on your website,” Patronis wrote in a letter to GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan on Tuesday.
“In doing so, those who are looking to assist can easily identify a legitimate site to donate to.”
Patronis also referred to GoFundMe’s “checkered past” of allowing fraudulent campaigns posing as charities to seek funds, and cited the 21 sites that were pulled down after the collapse of an apartment building in Surfside last year.
“While there are certainly many good instances where GoFundMe can benefit families, there have also been many people that have been a victim of fraud,” Patronis stated.
“I would like to know how many fraudulent sites you have identified following Hurricane Ian. What do you do when you find a fraudulent site? How are those consumers made whole? Do you refund their donation to them? It is critical that the dollars being donated by good-hearted people actually get to those that truly need it.”
During a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis in Fort Myers on Tuesday, Patronis was even more blunt. Those wishing to help should give to the Florida Disaster Fund, whose payments can be checked online, he said.
“You know exactly where the money is going, unlike GoFundMe. Don’t touch GoFundMe,” Patronis said.
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, who is overseeing the Disaster Fund, said it has raised $35 million so far. Gov. DeSantis has said the state’s private fund is more flexible in distributing needed items to survivors of Hurricane Ian than the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which must abide by federal laws and guidelines.
5 comments
meredith shaw
October 4, 2022 at 6:52 pm
The American Red Cross is and always has been the place to donate to support immediate and targeted relief, managed by professionals. Not the First Ladies debutante project.
Orlando
October 5, 2022 at 12:29 am
Take a look at how much of Red Cross’s donations go to administration of the corporation. Yeah, not so good.
Timothy Raschke
October 4, 2022 at 8:27 pm
My sister and brother in law reside in Cape Coral and has had damages to their home. Both are have severe health issues.
i’m having difficulty with their insurance. I cannot have Samaritan’s Purse come in to do voluntary work until their appraiser can assess the damages. In addition, they want to only provide depreciation cost for the loss instead of fair replacement value.
if we wit on the insurance’s appriser, will miss out on the kindness of Samaritan’s Purse and more damage to house can occur.
nail
October 5, 2022 at 12:03 am
This is DeSantis and his wife pocket money. Everyone is against it. here is no charity or organizations designated and the are literally FL Senate members renting 24 ft truck and begging for food, water and clothes to give to ppl. DeSantis specified he only wanted CASH. No food, or water. Where is this money going?
I came across an article tonight from a TN newspaper. DeSantis sent home over 1,000 NG from TN that wanted to help with the rescue. He sent them home on FRIDAY! .2 days after the hurricane that hit 17 counties.
The Medical Examiner reported today that 80% of the deaths are in Lee County , where DeSantis waited until Tuesday to evacuate. On the national news, we are still seeing ppl who have not seen a person since the hurricane. Most of these ppl could be saved he said, but they were not found in time. It has been a week? A film crew found a 72 yr old taking care of his wife with dementia and not one person had been to his home. Not one in a week. Lee County. The national news is scaring the hell out of DeSantiis because they are exposing all the problems that DeSantis does not have the time or the willingness to do because he is to busy kicking volunteers off the street for hours, while he he has a film crew to take his picture. The volunteers stood up to him. They had been delivering food and water by boat from last Thursday to ppl who had not seen one state worker. But Desantis sent home 1,000 extra ppl because he told them we had enough. Yet 5 days later there were still ppl being feed by good samaritans.They were using a phone to film the harrassment by Desantis security as they had already moved a U-Haul truck with supplies from another area a few hrs earlier because of DeSantis wanted to take pictures..
When they put the video on Twitter ppl were beating the hell out of DeSantis. He had a presser later all upset and lying saying he was in the area first. The whole thing was on video you asshole. . Enough of his BS, we had an actor and do not need another one,. I knew he was incompetent but just put Desantis in a corner with a camera at this point. We need a leader. Not another trump 2.0.
Beth
October 5, 2022 at 5:23 am
Gee what a shock he encourages everyone to donate to a fund created by the governor’s wife. Reminds me of the “trump defense fund”. Stick to the trusted organizations like the United Way or The Red Cross.
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