Joel Shannon

jshannon@ydr.com

A self-described "tongue-in-cheek fundraising page" dedicated to protesting Sen. Pat Toomey's support of Betsy DeVos for education secretary has raised more than $30,000 since Wednesday.

More than 1,700 donors have contributed to the gofundme.com page, which has a goal of reaching $55,800.

The page, which says its organizer is a Philadelphia-based educator, claims without citing a source that $55,800 is the sum that DeVos donated to Toomey's campaign.

DeVos, President Trump's nominee for education secretary who is set to have her Senate confirmation hearing in coming days, donated $60,050 to Toomey's campaign funds, according to a Phillyvoice.com report that cites the Center for American Progress.

Flooded with calls, emails, Toomey's office ‘all hands on deck’

"If Betsy DeVos can buy Senator Toomey's vote, we should be allowed to do the same," the fundraising page says.



"I'm pretty new to activism, and I'm not really interested in breaking the law," an update to the page reads. "I think most people are aware that I can't legally give this money outright to Senator Toomey in exchange for his vote to not confirm Betsy DeVos to run the Department of Education."

The page says that if the senator does not accept the money or if the donation campaign constitutes a bribe, money raised will be donated to Camp Sojourner, the Pennsylvania Arts Education Network and the Children's Literacy Initiative.

During a Thursday radio appearance on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT in Philadelphia, Toomey reacted to learning of the campaign.

"That's very funny ... I give her credit for the humor value, that's for sure," he said of the educator who started the page.