Has gofundme removed Jonathan Ross fundraiser
Executive summary
GoFundMe has not uniformly removed the high-profile fundraiser supporting ICE agent Jonathan Ross; the platform publicly stated it was reviewing the campaign and warned that fundraisers raising money for legal defense of people charged with violent crimes violate its terms and "will be removed" [1] [2]. Meanwhile, multiple campaigns have surfaced across platforms, activists have launched petitions demanding removal, and reporting shows a mix of active pages, unverified status notices, and at least one organizer message saying funds were closed — but available public reporting does not establish a definitive, final takedown by GoFundMe at the time of those stories [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. What GoFundMe says it will do and what it told reporters
GoFundMe told Newsweek and other outlets that its terms prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime and that "any campaigns that violate this policy will be removed," and the company said it was "reviewing" the fundraiser and gathering information from the organizer [1]. Multiple reports reprise that spokesperson line and note GoFundMe flagged the Ross fundraisers as unverified and under review, warning they "may be removed" under platform rules [2] [1].
2. What existed on the site: live pages, organizer claims and platform notices
Reporting from Wired and the GoFundMe listing itself shows at least one prominent GoFundMe page titled "ICE OFFICER Jonathan Ross," organized by Clyde Emmons, was publicly visible and explicitly described as intended to cover the officer's legal defense, with carousel slides making that purpose clear when Wired viewed it [7] [5]. Hindustan Times and other outlets documented multiple fundraisers across GoFundMe and alternative platforms that had gathered significant sums, though GoFundMe marked at least some of those campaigns as unverified while they were being reviewed [6] [2].
3. Pressure from advocacy groups and public reaction pushing for removal
Advocacy organizations including UltraViolet launched petitions calling on GoFundMe to remove any fundraisers supporting Ross, arguing that platform policy and public interest require immediate removal; a Change.org petition likewise demanded GoFundMe "remove and deny any fundraiser" for the agent [3] [4]. Journalistic accounts and opinion pieces noted public outrage, major donors weighing in, and competing fundraisers — including a GoFundMe for Renee Good’s family that some donors said was closed by the time they tried to give — amplifying pressure on the company [1] [8].
4. How platforms have enforced in similar cases and why critics point to selective enforcement
Critics cite precedent where GoFundMe removed fundraisers for law enforcement figures in past violent cases, such as a 2015 Fraternal Order of Police campaign tied to Freddie Gray's death, to argue the company is inconsistently enforcing rules when confronted with high-profile, politically charged campaigns [7]. Wired highlights that the Ross fundraiser's public language explicitly about legal defense appears to conflict with GoFundMe's stated policy, framing the platform's slow response as selective enforcement [7].
5. Cross-platform dynamics and the limits of available reporting
Independent platforms and alternatives like GiveSendGo have hosted similar campaigns and sometimes embraced fundraisers that GoFundMe might remove, and outlets have documented donations flowing to multiple venues while noting questions about verification and the true beneficiary of proceeds [9]. Public reporting confirms GoFundMe placed Ross-related campaigns under review and warned of removal, documents visible fundraisers and organizer statements, and records activism demanding takedown, but the sources do not produce a single authoritative GoFundMe record proving a final, universal removal of all Ross-related fundraisers at the time of reporting [1] [6] [5].
6. Bottom line and caveats
The most defensible, evidence-based conclusion is that GoFundMe publicly reviewed and flagged the Jonathan Ross fundraisers and warned they could be removed under policy, but contemporaneous reporting shows at least some Ross-supporting GoFundMe pages were visible and unverified rather than universally taken down; activists and journalists interpreted that as delay or selective enforcement, and alternative platforms hosted other active campaigns [1] [7] [2] [9]. Reporting does not provide a single, conclusive GoFundMe statement saying every Ross-linked campaign was removed permanently, so claims that GoFundMe has categorically removed the fundraiser are not fully supported by the cited sources [1] [6].