The Trump campaign said on Friday that it was distributing $6.6 million that others donated to a GoFundMe account that it set up for victims of the July 13 assassination attempt on the former president in Butler, Pa.
“I can confirm that the majority of distributions have occurred or are imminent,” said Brian Hughes, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, in a text message to The New York Times on Friday.
The GoFundMe account, organized by the Trump campaign’s national finance director, received 70,300 donations. It far exceeded its original goal of $1 million. The Trump campaign did not receive the donated funds directly, but rather identified the recipients and oversaw the distribution of money from the GoFundMe account.
The Trump campaign has said the money will not be used for the presidential campaign, and GoFundMe rules do not allow it.
Two recipients of the money told The Times that they had received some of the donations.
Helen Comperatore, whose husband, Corey, was killed in the attack, said she had received funds from the GoFundMe account earlier this week. Ms. Comperatore declined to give the amount, but said she wanted to thank all the donors.
“It was just an honor to receive that,” Ms. Comperatore said in a phone interview. “I am going to do something very gracious and wonderful in honor of my husband with that money. I don’t know what yet.”
Mitchel DeLullo, a Trump supporter who owns Priority Crane Rentals in Prospect, Pa., also received funds.
Mr. DeLullo was present at the July 13 rally, but not physically hurt. Instead, he was compensated for a loss of income. He had donated two large cranes to hold an American flag over Mr. Trump’s head during the rally. After the shooting, the cranes were stuck behind police tape, meaning Mr. DeLullo could not rent them to others for a week.
Mr. DeLullo was featured in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story after the rally, telling the newspaper that he had lost about $50,000 in income and praising Mr. Trump as a candidate. After that, Mr. DeLullo said, the Trump campaign contacted him, saying they heard he needed assistance and wanted to make sure he was compensated.
Mr. DeLullo said the campaign eventually paid him $48,000 out of the GoFundMe donations. “It was a fair number, and he took care of me, he really did,” he said.
In addition to Mr. Trump, two men in the crowd were wounded in the attack. A lawyer for the two men did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
In setting up the GoFundMe account, the Trump campaign said it would help “the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt.”
Mr. Hughes, the Trump campaign spokesman, did not respond to questions asking why the campaign had compensated Mr. DeLullo, whose damage was financial and not physical. Mr. Hughes also declined to say if Mr. Trump himself had donated to the fund-raiser. The GoFundMe page did not list the former president among its top donors.
Ms. Comperatore said she would be in attendance on Saturday when Mr. Trump returned to Butler for another rally.
Mr. DeLullo said he had donated his cranes again, for use in the second rally. But he said he would not be there. The first time had left him too spooked.
“They did offer me good seating,” Mr. DeLullo said. “But I’ve got three kids at home, and I’ve got to take care of them. I’m going to watch this one from afar.”
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