A truck on the "Freedom Convoy" as it passes through Dryden, Ontario Image: Sarah McCarthy/Acadia Broadcasting.
Hacked website data has revealed a southern New Brunswick-based pressure cleaning retailer is connected to one of the largest donations to the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protest in Ottawa.
Brad Howland, the owner and CEO of Easy-Kleen Pressure Systems Ltd., has been linked to at least $70,000 donated to the ongoing convoy and blockade protest in Ottawa. The revelation came in a leak of 30 megabytes of donor information from the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo, distributed by whistleblower-hacker collective Distributed Denial of Secrets (Ddos).
According to a manifesto posted to GiveSendGo’s website by Ddos on February 13, Howland’s donation was second-highest in a list of benefactors that spans Canada and the United States. All donated in support of the ongoing protests against vaccine mandates and restrictions taking place in Ottawa and other provincial capitals.
Distributed Denial of Secrets, a self-described non-profit “transparency collective,” has a history of releasing sensitive data belonging to far-right-wing groups such as the Oath Keepers–as well as shell companies, and public organizations like police departments.
On February 14, Huddle tried to reach Howland at Easy-Kleen’s Sussex-Corner headquarters.
The employee who answered the phone said she had been advised not to make “any statements on the matter.” She declined to provide information on how to contact Howland.
Easy-Kleen launched in 1982, after founder Fred Howland, Brad Howland’s father, was contracted to provide pressure washers for Base Gagetown.
At the time of publication, GiveSendGo’s website was offline for what the organization said was “maintenance and server upgrades.”
GiveSendGo became a prominent fundraising channel for convoy-protesters in Ottawa after GoFundMe blocked $9 million of $10 million in donations to the cause. GoFundMe made the decision after local law enforcement told the company the protests had become unlawful, displayed symbols of hate such as the swastika and Confederate flag, and in some cases became violent.
The leak comes not long after an Ontario court granted an injunction to enforce noise and idling bylaws in Ottawa and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he could use the Emergencies Act to break up the protests.
Sam Macdonald is a reporter for Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
