Proud Boy Ethan Nordean Raising Funds To 'Make Ends Meet' Following Capitol Riot Charge
One of the most prominent members of the Proud Boys charged over the January 6 Capitol riot is asking people for money online as he is having a "very difficult time making ends meet" while under house arrest.
Ethan Nordean, also known as Rufio Panman, is accused by the FBI of being the de-facto leader of the far-right group on January 6. Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio was arrested two days prior and subsequently barred from Washington D.C.
Nordean, the self-described "Sergeant of Arms" for the Seattle Chapter of the Proud Boys, is accused of leading a mob of about 100 Proud Boys members and supporters through the streets of D.C., along with fellow leading member Joe Biggs, before attacking the Capitol.
Nordean was released from custody on March 3 pending his trial after a judge ruled he did not pose a danger to the community.
Chief Judge Beryl Howell in Washington also said there were not enough evidence to suggest Nordean led or instructed the crowd and merely "went along with this mob."
Nearly four weeks following his release from custody, Nordean has set up a donations page on the Our Freedom Funding website, describing himself as an "American patriot" who has been a "huge proponent of freedom" during his adult life.
"We pray that the truth comes out of the innocence of this man so he may be free again to start working and providing for his family," a description on the page adds.
"He has been completely slandered and deplatformed, constantly getting fired or his websites taken down. Now he is under house arrest and has had a very difficult time making ends meet."
The page has raised more than $4,500 since it was set up on March 29.
This is not the first time that extremists accused of taking part in the January 6 attack have raised money from supporters via online platforms.
As reported by USA Today, Biggs managed to raise more than $52,000 using Our Freedom Funding before it was removed.
New York Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola, who is also charged in connection to the Capitol attack, has an Our Freedom Funding page, and has so far raised nearly $1,000.
A number of Proud Boys members are also raising their legal fees on GiveSendGo, a Christian website that has been willing to support their fundraising attempts after being banned from other platforms such as GoFundMe.
Biggs, Pezzola, and Nick Ochs, leader and founder of Proud Boys Hawaii, all set up pages on GiveSendGo to help cover the legal costs ahead of their trials over the January 6 attack.
Elsewhere, the GiveSendGo page for Tarrio to help him fight the charges after he was arrested January 4 for allegedly setting fire to a Black Lives Matter flag following pro-Trump protests in Washington, D.C. the previous month has currently received more than $113,000 in donations.
In a previous statement to Newsweek, Jacob Wells, who set up GiveSendGo along with his sister Heather Wison in 2015, said that the site "does not have a position" on the far-right Proud Boys using the site.
"Our mission is to share the Hope of Jesus. We do this by providing a fundraising platform that is not only free to use, but also a place where every campaign owner, giver, and visitor comes in contact with the lifegiving message of the hope and freedom found in Christ," Wells said.
"We believe this message is for all people no matter race, religion, or political affiliation.
The site previously attracted controversy for hosting a fundraising campaign for Kyle Rittenhouse, the 18-year-old charged with murdering two people during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020.
Our Freedom Funding has been contacted for comment.
