GoFundMe responds to alleged fraud

Update: The GoFundMe representative the Record has been in contact with confirmed that the email Snider-Lay shared with the Record was from GoFundMe.
A GoFundMe representative has provided a statement on the fraudulent GoFundMe organized by Stephanie Taylor reported in Saturday’s Record.
First, Taylor’s fiancé, who originally reached out to the Lay family for the fundraiser, had resigned following Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District’s investigation. Chief Phillip Pitts informed the Record of this on Friday, and because he was interviewing the district on a separate story, the reporter forgot to include it in the original story.

On Friday after publication, a GoFundMe representative sent a statement to the Record on the organization’s actions regarding the fundraiser. The statement said the organization was working with the Lay family to safely deliver the raised funds, and the organizer (Taylor) had been banned from fundraising on the platform in the future.
“GoFundMe has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and takes swift action against those who seek to take advantage of the generosity of our community,” the statement said.

For more on this story, see Wednesday's LCR.