‘Freedom Convoy’ donations frozen, could flow to Ottawa residents

The funds donated to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest will remain frozen pending the outcome of a proposed class-action lawsuit on behalf of Ottawa residents.

The parties in the case agreed to transfer cash and cryptocurrency to an escrow fund which would prevent the respondents in the lawsuit from dispersing the funds, court heard Monday.

That means the money, should the lawsuit succeed, could go to Ottawa residents and businesses affected by the protest. The amount of money being transferred was not specified in the hearing.

The proposed class-action lawsuit is seeking $306 million in damages. It includes residents living in parts of Centretown, the ByWard Market and Sandy Hill.

The judge hearing the case, Superior Court of Justice Regional Senior Judge Calum MacLeod, is expected to formally approve the order later Monday.

The funds will be in the hands of an escrow agent—a bankruptcy trustee firm—with the power to change passwords for the cryptocurrency accounts.

The lawsuit names convoy organizers as well as people who donated through GiveSendGo, the platform of choice for the protest after a GoFundMe account that had raised more than $10 million was shut down.

In potential class-action lawsuit over Ottawa protests, parties reached an agreement today to transfer an unspecified amount of crypto and cash to an escrow agent, pending the outcome of the lawsuit, which seeks damages alleged by Ottawa residents, businesses and employees.

— Glen McGregor (@glen_mcgregor) February 28, 2022