Police compiled a blacklist of names of crowdfunders linked to the Freedom Convoy, according to Access To Information records. A secret list of individuals and their credit ratings was sent to Farm Credit Canada, a Crown bank..According to Blacklock's Reporter, internal emails show the bank last February 18 was sent a blacklist of names by Ottawa Police. Records did not explain why individuals were identified..“Farm Credit Canada has not received a list of names from the RCMP,” read one staff email. “FCC has received a list of names from the Ottawa Police Service though in relation to a restraint order for the funds raised through the GiveSendGo crowdfunding platform for the Freedom Convoy.”.“This information was originally provided directly to Farm Credit Canada from the Ottawa Police and then we subsequently received more information through our membership with the Canadian Bankers Association,” said the email..Freedom Convoy organizers collected millions in small donations from supporters of the Parliament Hill protest against vaccine mandates. A total of $10.1 million was donated through one website GoFundMe of Redwood City, California. “Our record show 88% of donated funds originated in Canada,” Juan Benitez, president of GoFundMe, testified March 3 at the House of Commons public safety committee..GoFundMe froze the account February 4 at the request of Ottawa’s mayor. Subsequently another $10.6 million was raised through the second platform, GiveSendGo LLC of Boston. The Government of Ontario on February 11 obtained a Superior Court order freezing the GiveSendGo account..“Most of the donations were under a hundred dollars,” testified Jacob Wells, co-founder of GiveSendGo. “It’s pretty consistent across the board.”.The Department of Finance in a February 22 submission to the Commons finance committee said it was unlikely anyone who donated money to the Freedom Convoy would face repercussions. “It is possible although very unlikely,” testified Isabelle Jacques, assistant deputy finance minister..“It’s not impossible that someone who gave $20 would be captured and have their bank account frozen,” said Jacques. “I think it would happen in rare circumstances.”.“But it is possible?” asked Conservative MP Philip Lawrence (Northumberland-Peterborough, Ont.). “It is possible,” replied Assistant Deputy Jacques..Cabinet repeatedly claimed foreign extremists used crowdfunding websites to finance the Freedom Convoy. “Follow the money,” Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters February 16. “For a number of weeks there have been alarm bells going off about the rate at which the leaders have been able to raise significant funds, much of which has been raised from abroad.”.Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair claimed to have “strong evidence” the Freedom Convoy was “a largely foreign funded, targeted and coordinated attack which was clearly criminally intended to harm Canada.” Cabinet has not disclosed such evidence to date.
