A GoFundMe campaign set up to help 81‑year‑old Donald Johnson of The Colony, a Dallas suburb, was shut down this week after the platform said it had uncovered “factual misrepresentations.” The fundraiser, which had raised more than $200,000 before deactivation, was removed and all donors refunded. A GoFundMe spokesperson said the misrepresentations “directly violate our Terms of Service” and that the company’s priority is to keep the site safe for donors and recipients.
The campaign was launched after Erin Howell, a local resident, spotted Johnson struggling with heavy suitcases. Howell wrote on GoFundMe that she had seen him carry lost luggage up a steep flight of stairs and that he was “exhausted.” She learned that he had been delivering lost luggage for the past three years to help pay for his wife Josephine’s cancer treatment. The couple have been together for 57 years, and Howell said the fundraiser would allow Johnson to stop working and focus on caring for his wife.
Johnson and his wife thanked donors for the support. According to Dallas station Fox 4, the fundraiser had received over $281,000 in donations before it was deactivated. The Independent has asked GoFundMe for details on the specific misrepresentations, but the company said it would not disclose them. It added that its policies require authenticity and transparency, and that donors are protected under the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee, which ensures a full refund if something is not right.
