Top Florida GOP fundraiser launches GoFundMe for Trump rally shooting victims

A high-profile political fundraiser from Florida has launched a "President Trump Authorized" GoFundMe aiming to raise $1 million for those "wounded or killed" in Saturday's attempt on the former president's life.

Meredith O'Rourke of Tallahassee, also Trump's top finance person, is listed as the organizer of the online fundraiser, which as of Sunday morning lists more than $575,000 in donations.

Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was recovering Sunday after he was injured in the right ear when a sniper opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle from a rooftop about 400 feet outside a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show in Butler, Pennsylvania, USA TODAY has reported.

According to the Secret Service, one spectator was killed and two others were "critically injured."

The GoFundMe's description says that "President Donald Trump has authorized this account as a place for donations to the supporters and families wounded or killed in today’s brutal and horrific assassination attempt. All donations will be directed to these proud Americans as they grieve and recover. May God bless and unite our nation."

The top donations so far include $30,000 from former Republican challenger Vivek Ramaswamy and $25,000 from investor and entrepreneur John Shahidi, a Southern California native behind several companies, among them Shots Studios, described as "an entertainment company that uses data to create the next digital stars."

"Just donated $25k on behalf of my family. Please help out if you can," he posted on X early Sunday.

Also donating were Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson ($10,000) and Trump's daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner ($10,000).

Who is Meredith O'Rourke, organizer of the fundraiser for the Trump rally shooting victims?

O'Rourke has been a top political fundraiser for Republicans for decades, including for current U.S. Sen. Rick Scott's and former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's campaigns for governor. She also did a short stint in 2015 for former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie's run for president.

Her LinkedIn profile lists her currently as "National Finance Director and Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump For President 2024, Inc."

Writing about her in the Summer 2018 edition of Florida-based INFLUENCE magazine, which focuses on the Sunshine State's political players, her sister Carrie O'Rourke said, "For the past two decades in Florida, political fundraising has become synonymous with the name Meredith O'Rourke."

She went on, "She has steadfastly built and maintained the top political fundraising consultancy in Florida. When her name pops up on donors' cellphones, they know it's going to be a short but focused call and the checkbook needs to be within arm's length ... they instinctively answer the call because she has developed close, long-term personal relationships with Florida's leading political donors.

"... With a husband deployed to Iraq for a year and a newborn at home, she worked on all four cabinet races in 2010 and later raised a record $100 million for Gov. Scott's re-election. That achievement complements a long list of fundraising successes too numerous to mention that reset the benchmarks and landscape of political giving in Florida," Carrie O'Rourke added.

In 2015, the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported on O'Rourke's part in the battle with a rare kidney disorder that afflicted her then 5-year-old son. She helped set up a fundraiser for the fight against childhood kidney disease held at Bill Harkins Field on the Florida State University campus.

News Director Jim Rosica can be reached at jrosica@tallahassee.com. Follow him on X: @JimRosicaFL.