After raising more than $100,000, the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe shut down a campaign to raise money for the home of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Puerto Rican grandmother.
Matt Walsh, the conservative writer behind the initiative, announced Saturday that “someone” in Ocasio-Cortez’s family told GoFundMe the lawmaker’s grandmother “won’t take the money, even though AOC previously claimed that her grandma was in dire straights (and it was Trump’s fault).”
GoFundMe explained to Walsh that the “beneficiary’s family” had declined the more than $104,153 raised in less than 12 hours.
Tragically this charitable effort has been sabotaged by forces outside of our control. Still I’m grateful for the outpouring of support for abuela, even if AOC isn’t. But questions remain: Why didn’t AOC help her own abuela? Why was our help turned down? We are left to speculate.
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 5, 2021
“When a beneficiary doesn’t want to accept the funds that have been raised on their behalf,” an email from GoFundMe read, “it is standard to turn off donations, then refund all donors.”
The Daily Wire personality said his viral charitable effort was “sabotaged by forces outside of our control.”
“Still,” he added, “I’m grateful for the outpouring of support for abuela, even if AOC isn’t. But questions remain: Why didn’t AOC help her own abuela? Why was our help turned down? We are left to speculate.”
Ocasio-Cortez has so far refused to comment on the tens of thousands of dollars raised to rebuild her grandmother’s home in Puerto Rico, which had been damaged by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
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Walsh first announced the campaign last week, after the self-avowed socialist lawmaker shared pictures of her grandmother’s home in Puerto Rico.
Ocasio-Cortez said she visited her grandmother because she’s sick. The representative used the trip to blame former President Donald Trump for the lack of aid sent to the Caribbean island in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
“This is her home,” she tweeted, sharing photos of her grandmother’s rundown house. “Hurricane Maria relief hasn’t arrived. Trump blocked relief [money] for [Puerto Rico].”
Just over a week ago, my abuela fell ill. I went to Puerto Rico to see her- my 1st time in a year+ bc of COVID.
This is her home. Hurricane María relief hasn’t arrived. Trump blocked relief $ for PR.
People are being forced to flee ancestral homes, & developers are taking them. pic.twitter.com/wnRxLalA2D
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 2, 2021
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