Republican Fund Raiser WinRed Failed to Stop Multiple State Probes

• Neville Gabby
• 0 comment
• February 7, 2022

WinRed, the Republican online fundraising platform, failed to win the lawsuit seeking to bar state attorneys general from probing into their fundraising tactics. Minnesota Chief Judge John Tunheim of the U.S. District Court rejected WinRed’s use of the court to stop state investigations from probing its fundraising operations.

Besides, Judge Tunheim does not have any jurisdiction outside Minnesota, while his ruling was in favor of Minnesota AG Keith Ellison. The latter mentioned earlier that federal law would not forestall a state investigation.

Nevertheless, the Minnesota court ruling also confirmed that every state attorney general has the legal ability to use laws and investigatory tools in protecting consumers, regardless of the politics involved.

Why is WinRed Under Multiple State Investigations?

A previous report published by The New York Times revealed how WinRed used pre-checked boxes to automatically register Trump supporters into paying recurring charges. The practice led to allegations of fraud that resulted to massive demands for refunds. The clamor for refunds prompted attorneys general from Connecticut, NY, Maryland, and Minnesota to ask WinRed to present documents to support the fundraising platform.

WinRed however, instead filed a lawsuit with the federal court of Minnesota as a response.