This Was the Staggering Amount Raised by a GoFundMe Campaign for Donald Trump After NY Fraud Ruling

A fresh fundraising initiative emerged in the wake of the staggering $350 million judgment levied against former President Donald Trump, his sons, and their family business in a civil fraud case. Elena Cardone, spearheading the effort, launched a "Stand with Trump" campaign aimed at amassing $355 million to offset the damages resulting from the New York fraud case, as reported by Mediaite.

The fundraiser had already garnered over $430,000 from a robust outpouring of support, with 8,700 donations flooding in as of Monday, February 19, morning. [At the time of publishing this article, 11.6K donations totaling $597,138 have been recorded].

The largest contribution clocked in at $10,000, with the majority falling within the range of $20 to $100. The court's ruling, delivered by Judge Arthur Engoron, mandated Trump, along with his companies and trust, to cough up over $350 million, plus accruing interest, while his sons were saddled with approximately $4 million in fines each. Furthermore, in addition to the hefty financial penalty, Trump has been slapped with a three-year ban on engaging in business activities within New York.

Elena Cardone, wife to affluent private equity fund manager and real estate investor Grant Cardone, is the one who swiftly mobilized support with a GoFundMe page titled "Stand with Trump; Fund the $355M Unjust Judgment" in the aftermath of the court's verdict. In a formal declaration, Cardone firmly expressed the unprecedented treatment by specific factions within the New York judicial system.

“I stand unwaveringly with President Donald Trump in the face of what I see as unprecedented and unfair treatment by certain judicial elements in New York,” she expressed, adding, “The recent legal battles he faces are not just an attack on him, but an attack on the very ideals of fairness and due process that every American deserves.”

Cardone also emphasized the broader implications of Trump's legal woes, characterizing them as a threat to 'the balance of justice and the application of [the] law' and not merely as a personal assault on the former President. 

Trump's Save America PAC has also disbursed nearly $37 million to over 60 law firms and individual attorneys since January 2022, further underscoring the extensive legal battles he continues to navigate.

Following the recent civil fraud ruling, a group of truck drivers aligned with Trump has made a bold statement. In a show of solidarity with Trump, these truckers have announced their intention to initiate a boycott of shipments to New York City as a protest against the judicial decision, per The New York Post. This movement has garnered a lot of support from conservative individuals on social media as well. 

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 20, 2024. It has since been updated.