PayPal blocks site that helped raise funds for those who attended Capitol violence

By Kanishka Singh

Jan 11 (Reuters) - PayPal Holdings Inc said on Monday it has blocked the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo after it helped raise funds for people who attended last week's event in Washington when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol.

The digital payments processor also confirmed to Reuters that it closed an account held by Ali Alexander, one of the organizers of the gathering. The news was reported earlier by Bloomberg, which cited an unnamed source.

Supporters of Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, trying halt the certification by Congress of President-elect Joe Biden's election victory.

Trump, who has without evidence challenged the validity of Biden's election win, initially praised his supporters but later condemned the violence.

Bloomberg reported last week that PayPal had closed an account held by Joy In Liberty, one of the groups that paid for supporters of Trump to travel to Washington where mobs stormed the Capitol.

Representatives of GiveSendGo, which describes itself as "A place to fund hope. A place to work together with the body of Christ around the world to make a difference," could not be reached immediately for comment. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)