- Donald Trump emailed voters on Monday asking them to sign a petition protesting his possible arrest.
- His team says they're compiling "millions and millions" of signatures decrying the "threats."
Former President Donald Trump asked his followers to sign a petition denouncing his potential arrest in New York. But signing this petition leads people straight to a page where they're asked to give $3,300 or other suggested amounts of cash to his 2024 campaign.
"They're trying to intimidate YOU and cancel out YOUR vote!" Trump's team wrote in a Monday email to supporters seen by Insider.
"Which is why the Trump for President 2024 campaign is compiling millions and millions of petition signatures from Americans like you CONDEMNING these threats of a possible arrest," the email said. It also called on "74 million patriots" to answer the call and sign the petition.
Trump could soon be indicted by a New York grand jury in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush money payments case. Trump has claimed without evidence that he may be arrested on Tuesday, though no indictment has been confirmed by the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Upon clicking the petition link in the message, recipients are taken to a page asking for donations to "help DEFEND our America First movement during these dark times."
The message says supporters can donate any amount, but suggests sums like $500, $1,000, and $3,300, among others.
Trump did not specify how he intends to use such a list of supporters, nor did the website display a tracker of how many signatures had been collected.
The Trump campaign also claims that donations via this form will yield a "1,500%" impact, but doesn't explain how Trump will do this. He often promises donors that he will multiply the effectiveness of their cash donations many times.
The claim is a fundraising gimmick that's been also used by other politicians, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. However, many campaigns are now avoiding the tactic after the Justice Department in 2021 sentenced a political scam artist to 20 years in prison, in part for using this claim fraudulently.
Trump has repeatedly tried to raise funds off investigations or government actions against him. Such instances include when the FBI raided his Mar-a-Lago residence and when the January 6 House committee voted to subpoena him.
Most recently, he's been using rumors of his indictment to raise funds on his social media platform, Truth Social, Insider previously reported. He said supporters shouldn't send him anything if they are "doing poorly," but told them to "send your contribution" if they are "doing well."
The former president and his team also send emails to potential donors every day, often touting rewards like a chance to dine with Trump, the privilege of signing his birthday card. One such email in June promised supporters the title of "Great MAGA King Status" — which appears to essentially be an animated GIF of a scroll.
Trump has been accused by the January 6 House Committee of raising some $170 million off his baseless election fraud claims. However, he's unlikely to face fraud charges on these allegations, legal experts previously told Insider.
Representatives for Trump and the Manhattan DA's office did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.