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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

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

By Christopher Hutton
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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.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
NPR: Interview with board president of the MFF
Fox KMSP: Minnesota nonprofit with $35M bails out those accused of violent crimes
Fox KMSP: MFF's cash bail practices
City Pages: MFF explains plans for millions in donations
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.