Daniel Penny, the man charged with manslaughter in the chokehold killing of Jordan Neely on a New York subway earlier this month, has raised over $1.3 million on the crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. The campaign had raised $283,000 as of Friday morning and continues to grow.
The funds collected through the online platform are being used to pay for Penny's legal fees incurred from any criminal charges filed and any future civil lawsuits that may arise, as well as expenses related to his defense.
GiveSendGo was founded in 2014 and has become a haven for right-wing fundraising amidst an increasingly politically divided country. Notably, a defense fund for Kyle Rittenhouse raised over $240,000 on GiveSendGo leading up to his trial while a GoFundMe campaign specifically designated for his funeral expenses generated more than $82,000.
As of Sunday, two days after he was charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the killing of 30-year-old Jordan Neely on a New York City subway train, former Marine Daniel Penny's online fundraiser had amassed more than $1.5 million.
Penny surrendered himself to authorities last Friday and was subsequently released after posting a bond amounting to $100,000.
The incident sparked significant outrage among many New Yorkers who took to city streets protesting both Penny's initial release without charges and demanding justice be served in Neely's case.
Individuals donating toward Penny’s fundraising effort have left comments supporting his self-defense argument – several Republicans have also expressed their support for him publicly.
Meanwhile New York Democrats have called upon lawmakers' action against individuals like Penny responsible for such crimes; Mayor Eric Adams stated: “We need to make sure these things don’t happen again.”