Former President Donald Trump's legal defense fund website has reportedly been hacked and defaced over the weekend. The Patriot Legal Defense Fund seeks to gather funds for legal expenses tied to associates and staff involved in Trump's political activities.
(Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 26: Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at The Rosen Shingle Creek on February 26, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. CPAC, which began in 1974, is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials.
Hacking Donald Trump's Legal Defense Fund Website
The official website of the legal defense fund established by Donald Trump seems to have fallen victim to a hacking and defacement incident over the weekend. Gizmodo reported that the defaced content remains visible on the site without having been remedied.
The Patriot Legal Defense Fund, initiated around a week ago by prominent individuals within the Trump team, aims to raise funds for covering legal expenses incurred by associates and staff members linked to the former president's political endeavors.
Many of these associates and staff are currently grappling with multiple ongoing legal inquiries involving Trump, resulting in substantial court-related financial burdens.
While the Patriot fund has explicitly stated it will not cover legal costs for Trump or his family, recent observations have highlighted potential ethical concerns related to the group, warranting further investigation.
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Extending Beyond Alterations
However, the scope of the defacement extends well beyond these alterations. The homepage has been entirely replaced by an essay delving into themes of individual integrity and honesty, accompanied by an extensive rant directed at Donald Trump.
Notably, Forbes reported that the donation links located at the page's bottom have undergone a shift from their original purpose to now bolster causes such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Rock the Vote.
The website's banner sees a transformation, with Trump's name crossed out, replaced with a spirited "HEY!" accompanied by the tagline "AMERICA IS ALREADY GREAT!" a departure from the familiar MAGA slogan.
Below this, a headline urges visitors to withhold support from what the hacker dubs the "fraudulent Patriot Legal Defense Fund" tied to Trump.
Launching Funding
In July, reports emerged about the creation of the fund as a distinct entity from Donald Trump's Save America leadership PAC. However, a report by The Daily Beast on August 13 revealed that the "Donate Now" link on the original site was directed to Trump's 2024 campaign website.
The domain patriotlegaldefensefund.com was registered on July 31, the day after the news broke about the possible establishment of the Patriot Legal Defense Fund.
Domain details are shielded by GoDaddy privacy controls, and no valid press contact for the fund is apparent. The timing of the initial reports and the domain registration raises questions about the fund's legitimacy.
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