Money flowed to convoy protesters through envelopes of cash, cryptocurrency campaign, inquiry hears
CBC
Millions of dollars raised by the self-styled "Freedom Convoy" was either returned to donors or is still tied up in court — but thousands of dollars went to convoy protesters through a cryptocurrency campaign and envelopes of cash, the Emergencies Act inquiry heard Thursday.
The Public Order Emergency Commission heard evidence this morning about donations to the protest made through e-transfers, cryptocurrency and fundraising platforms like GiveSendGo and GoFundMe.
Despite raising millions of dollars to support their cause through crowdsourcing sites, convoy organizers were prevented by court orders from accessing most of those funds.
But an overview report compiled by the Public Order Emergency Commission said that, starting on Jan. 27, an Ottawa man — Nicholas St. Louis — was able to raise about $1.2 million in cryptocurrency for convoy protesters through Tallycoin, a crowdfunding platform that allows individuals to donate small amounts of Bitcoin at no cost.
The commission is reviewing the circumstances that led to the federal government invoking the Emergencies Act to quell the crowds and vehicles that blocked Ottawa streets for weeks last winter.
The Honk Honk Hodl cryptocurrency campaign was able to distribute about $800,000, said the report, which was presented before the inquiry Thursday.
"This had been accomplished by handing out physical envelopes that contained instructions on how to access approximately $8,000 of Bitcoin using a mobile phone," it said.
WATCH | Commission lawyer explains protest convoy's finances
The commission said about 100 electronic wallets were prepared and distributed on Feb. 16 to people participating in the Ottawa protests.
According to the report, St. Louis shut down the Tallycoin fundraiser on Feb. 14 and, in a Feb. 19 video broadcast on Twitter Spaces, said that that the bulk of the remaining Bitcoin was in a "multisig wallet" — a digital wallet that requires a minimum number of electronic "signatures" to authorize money transfers.
The commission's overview report also said many protest participants left cash donations at tents that were collecting money to purchase fuel and food. The report says that money was later taken to the Swiss Hotel in Ottawa, where Chad Eros, who acted as the treasurer for the convoy, was staying.
"A system was later put into place whereby the money was placed into numbered envelopes with $500 in each one. People would then sign out these envelopes and distribute them to truckers," said the report.
"Records were kept of the identities of the individuals who were given envelopes, and this information was tracked on a spreadsheet."
Eros told the commission that he estimates approximately $20,000 in cash flowed through the Swiss Hotel every day from the main stage donation collection.
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