An online fundraiser for Kaitlyn Tracey, a Canadian national accused of slapping a teenager wearing pro-Trump attire at the Jersey Shore, was removed from GoFundMe for violating the platform's policies against supporting individuals charged with violent crimes. The campaign had reportedly collected nearly $4,500 before being taken down.
GoFundMe confirmed its decision, stating, "Consistent with this long-standing policy, any fundraisers for the legal defense of someone charged with a violent crime are removed from the platform and fully refunded," a spokesperson told NJ.com.
Tracey, 33, faces charges related to an alleged incident on July 3. According to police, she began recording two teenagers on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk and confronted one of them about wearing sweatpants featuring pro-Trump and pro-ICE messages. The confrontation allegedly escalated when Tracey struck the teen. She surrendered to authorities on July 9 after learning charges were filed and was briefly held at Ocean County Jail before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took her into custody.
An ICE spokesperson stated that Tracey entered the United States with her passport in 2024 but overstayed her visa. She is currently being held at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark.
Following the removal of the GoFundMe page, a new fundraiser has been established on GiveSendGo, aiming to raise $10,000 for Tracey's legal defense. This new campaign states that donations will go directly to her legal team for attorney fees and related expenses. The description on the GiveSendGo page claims the original GoFundMe was removed due to a "coordinated mass-reporting campaign" by a Facebook group.
GiveSendGo did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether Tracey's fundraiser also violates its terms of service. As of the latest reports, the GiveSendGo campaign had garnered approximately $2,200 in donations.