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Top GOP fundraiser in Florida sets up Trump GoFundMe for Helene victims
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Top GOP fundraiser in Florida sets up Trump GoFundMe for Helene victims

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WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump’s fundraiser to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene has raised nearly $3 million as of Tuesday afternoon.

It was set up on GoFundMe by Meredith O’Rourke, a high-profile political fundraiser from Tallahassee who is also national finance director for Trump’s campaign.

This summer, she organized a similar page for victims of the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

More: Top Florida GOP fundraiser launches GoFundMe for victims of Trump rally shooting

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung confirmed to USA TODAY that the GoFundMe page is legitimate and authorized by the former president.

O’Rourke has been a top fundraiser for Republicans for decades, including for the gubernatorial campaigns of Rick Scott and former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. She also briefly worked for former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s presidential candidacy in 2015.

The latest fundraiser received over 16,000 donations, including $500,000 from former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia alone, according to her page, and another half a million dollars from real estate investor Steve Witkoff, a friend and supporter of Trump .

“All donations will benefit the people most affected by Hurricane Helene,” the page says. “Every level of generosity will be of great benefit to your fellow suffering Americans.”

Hurricane Helene, which devastated southeastern states such as North Carolina and Florida, left more than 100 dead and millions without power. Some areas of western North Carolina recorded more than 30 inches of rain, washing away homes and communities.

President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit North Carolina on Wednesday, and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s rival for the presidency, is also planning a visit to the disaster area. Harris received a briefing at FEMA headquarters in Washington, DC on Monday

“In recent days, our nation has experienced some of the worst destruction and devastation we have seen in quite some time,” she said. “And we responded with our best, with the best people on site.” ”

A version of this story first appeared on USA TODAY. Featuring: Joey Garrison, David Jackson, John Bacon, Sarah Honosky and Jim Rosica.

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