Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe lobbied MPs before testifying on truck convoy protest

Grappling with the political fallout from hosting a fundraiser for the convoy protest that paralyzed downtown Ottawa, crowdfunding platform GoFundMe lobbied members of Parliament behind the scenes before company executives testified publicly before two parliamentary committees.

According to the federal government's lobby registry, GoFundMe representatives met with three MPs on the public safety and national security committee and the committee's chairman, Liberal MP Jim Carr, in the days leading up to the company's public appearance before the committee on March 3.

In each case, the lobbyist from the public relations firm PAA Advisory who arranged the meeting had ties to the individual MP's party.

The registry also shows PAA Advisory arranged a meeting on GoFundMe's behalf with two Conservative Party research staffers.

Lobbying MPs on committees is not uncommon on Parliament Hill. Ethics watchdogs point out, however, that such lobbying can help those who can afford it to better navigate government, get meetings more quickly and obtain more influence with politicians.

The only party represented on the 12-member committee that GoFundMe didn't meet with was the Bloc Québécois. Bloc MP Kristina Michaud, a vice-chair of the committee, said company representatives never contacted her and she was not aware that GoFundMe had lobbied four of her fellow committee members prior to the company's appearance.

The committee voted unanimously in early February to call officials from GoFundMe to answer questions about their convoy fundraiser, which at the time had collected more than $10.1 million to support the anti-vaccine mandate protest in Ottawa and elsewhere.

The protest tied downtown Ottawa in knots for three weeks and blocked several border crossings.

While the meetings were arranged by registered lobbyists working with PAA Advisory, MPs interviewed by CBC News said they met with GoFundMe president Juan Benitez and the company's general counsel Kim Wilford, who later testified. The MPs said they don't believe their meetings with the GoFundMe executives had an impact on the outcome of the hearing.

The lobbyist registry also shows Benitez and Wilford met virtually with the finance committee chair, Liberal MP Peter Fonseca, on March 16 — the day before GoFundMe appeared before the finance committee.

"For the most part it was a listening exercise ... " said Fonseca. "They provided an overview of the company and what transpired with the convoy campaign."

Paypal reported lobbying three members of the public safety committee about "financial institutions" in the days leading up to its testimony on March 3. There is no sign of anyone registering to lobby committee members on behalf of two other companies that appeared before the committee that day — GiveSendGo and Stripe.

GiveSendGo hosted the Freedom Convoy 2022 online crowdfunding campaign once GoFundMe shut down the initial multi-million-dollar fundraiser.

Jacob Wells, co-founder of GiveSendGo, said he was surprised to learn that his rivals at GoFundMe had hired lobbyists to help them meet with MPs before both crowdfunding companies appeared before the public safety committee.