GoFundMe To Build Border Wall Ends With Refunds For Donors

GoFundMe will begin issuing refunds to those who donated to the "We The People Will Build The Wall" campaign that aimed to crowdfund a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The federal government remains partially shut down due to President Trump demanding funding for the wall and on Saturday, the shutdown became the longest in recent history.

The GoFundMe campaign, started by Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee veteran from Florida, has raised over $20 million dollars of a $1 billion goal. However, GoFundMe says there was a change in the use of funds.

Kolfage wrote in an update on the campaign Jan. 11 that he consulted with "some of our country's leading professionals in law, politics, national security, construction, and finance." The team decided that the federal government won't be able to access donations anytime soon and that construction of the wall could be done using the donated funds at a lower cost.

A non-profit called "We Build the Wall, Inc." has been established to receive the contributions from the GoFundMe, Kolfage wrote.

In a statement, a GoFundMe spokesperson said:

"When the campaign was created, the campaign organizer specifically stated on the campaign page, 'If we don’t reach our goal or come significantly close we will refund every single penny.' He also stated on the campaign page, '100% of your donations will go to the Trump Wall. If for ANY reason we don't reach our goal we will refund your donation.'

"However, that did not happen. This means all donors will receive a refund."

On the page, Kolfage wrote that those who do not want a refund must request GoFundMe to divert their funds to the new non-profit.

"If a donor does not want a refund, and they want their donation to go to the new organization, they must proactively elect to redirect their donation to that organization," the GoFundMe statement said. "If they do not take that step, they will automatically receive a full refund.

"All donors will be contacted by GoFundMe via email and they can also find the donor form directly on the campaign page."

The names on Kolfage's newly established team include Erik Prince, the former Navy SEAL who founded the company Blackwater. Prince is also Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' brother. Kris Kobach, the former Kansas Secretary of State who led Trump's disbanded voter fraud commission, has also signed on. David Clarke, the controversial Milwaukee County sheriff, is another member on the team.

Kolfage's campaign started eight days before Christmas and quickly gained attention in the national media. That also led to revelations by NBC News that Kolfage ran a Facebook page "and a ring of affiliate sites that frequently trafficked in conspiracy theories." According to NBC News, that page was pulled down by Facebook.

An investigation by BuzzFeed News published just a day before Kolfage announced the formation of the new non-profit, found that Kolfage has crowdfunded other campaigns that aim to mentor veterans at military hospitals. Hospital spokespersons told BuzzFeed News "they have no record of Kolfage working at their facilities or donating any money."

Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotinal partner.

Photo: A border wall makes its way towards the ocean Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2019, in Tijuana, Mexico. Photo by Gregory Bull/Associated Press