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Did a wave of contributions to a Minnesota bail fund go only to help people arrested during the George Floyd protests?

Saturday, September 26, 2020
By Christopher Hutton
NO

After the protests provoked by George Floyd's death in May 2020, social-media attention from celebrities and politicians helped channel $35 million in donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a local nonprofit seeking to help those who can't make cash bail. Some of the contributions helped arrested protesters, but some were used to bail out other offenders unconnected to the protests.

A local TV station, citing a court document, reported that recipients of the fund's help were charged with crimes including second-degree murder and sexual assault. Greg Lewin, the fund's interim director, told the station, "I often don’t even look at a charge when I bail someone out."

The organization, which subsisted on a budget of $250,000 last year, says the remaining windfall will help expand its work through the whole state.

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