Three Of George Floyd’s Siblings Say They Have Repeatedly Sought Records Showing How Millions In Donations Were Managed And Distributed
Six years after George Floyd’s death sparked protests around the world and one of the largest crowdfunding responses in GoFundMe history, three of his siblings are demanding a full accounting of the money raised in his name.
Floyd’s sisters Zsazsa and LaTonya and brother Rodney Floyd, through a Houston attorney, sent an Aug. 11 letter to their brother Philonise Floyd requesting financial records connected to the George Floyd Memorial GoFundMe campaign.
The letter, obtained by TMZ, states that the fundraiser collected roughly $19 million. The siblings maintain that they are among Floyd’s heirs and say they have not received what they believe to be a fair portion of the money.
Family Seeks Financial Records
According to the letter, the siblings are requesting GoFundMe reports, account statements, transaction histories, tax filings and other financial documents showing how the donations were handled and distributed.
Philonise was given 20 days from receipt of the letter to provide the records, with the family’s attorney saying she hoped the dispute could be resolved amicably.
The siblings say the letter follows repeated attempts to obtain information about the money. They also told TMZ that they contacted civil rights attorney Ben Crump seeking answers but did not receive a response.
Rodney Floyd characterized the request as an effort to obtain transparency rather than an accusation of wrongdoing.
“We want to see the records, understand how decisions were made, and make sure the family’s questions are answered,” Rodney told TMZ. “We’re speaking up because transparency matters.”
The letter does not accuse Philonise Floyd of misusing the donations.
Millions Donated After Floyd’s Death
The Official George Floyd Memorial Fund became a global fundraising effort following Floyd’s May 2020 killing by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
GoFundMe reported that more than 500,000 people donated to the official fundraiser, making it the individual campaign with the most donations in the platform’s history at the time. The company’s 2020 report listed $14.7 million raised for Floyd’s family.
That figure differs from the roughly $19 million referenced in the siblings’ August letter. The publicly available reports reviewed by the Observer do not establish the reason for the difference.
Philonise said at the time that donations would help cover funeral and burial expenses, counseling, travel associated with court proceedings and other family needs. A portion was also expected to support Floyd’s estate, his children and their education.
The dispute comes as Floyd’s death remains part of the national conversation six years later. As of recently, renewed efforts to challenge Chauvin’s conviction came about after billionaire Elon Musk publicly called for the former officer’s release.
For Floyd’s siblings, however, the current issue is narrower as they say they want documentation showing what happened to the millions donated in their brother’s name.
