Bill Ackman just showed how tone deaf billionaires by making a giant donation to the ICE officer who killed Renee Good

Billionaire Bill Ackman is facing intense criticism after contributing a hefty sum to the legal defense fund for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Good last week. Ackman, a major hedge fund manager, decided to weigh in on the controversial case by donating $10,000 to the GoFundMe set up for officer Jonathan Ross’s legal expenses.

That $10,000 donation was tied for the single largest contribution to the fund, which has already ballooned past $704,000, inching closer to its $800,000 goal, per The Hill. It’s clear that this case has struck a nerve, and Ackman’s involvement certainly amplified the already heated debate.

The shooting occurred last week in Minneapolis, where Ross shot and killed the 37-year-old Good. The Trump administration has publicly defended the officer, arguing that Ross acted in self-defense and that Good was obstructing federal law enforcement operations at the time of the incident.

Looks like Trump’s friends are helping his goons

Ackman’s decision to support the officer’s defense fund immediately drew widespread condemnation. He claimed that he is “a big believer in our legal principal that one is innocent until proven guilty.”

It’s an interesting defense, but it doesn’t seem to have calmed the waters much, especially when you look at the reaction to the victim’s fund. In a sharp contrast, the GoFundMe established for Good’s loved ones raised nearly $1.5 million, absolutely smashing its initial $50,000 target. The fund was actually closed by Friday because it had raised so much money. Ackman claimed he intended to donate to the family’s fund but found it closed by the time he tried.

Ackman tried to frame the entire situation as a sweeping tragedy, saying on Sunday, “The whole situation is a tragedy.” He attempted to assign some level of innocence to both sides, arguing that Ross was “doing his best to do his job, and a protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death.” That statement is pretty intense, and it seems like he’s trying to walk a very thin line between supporting the officer’s legal rights and acknowledging the loss of life.

The 59-year-old billionaire has definitely faced major backlash. On Tuesday, he noted that he had “been widely (and worse) by many on social and mainstream media for” his contribution. He seems to view the ability to fund a strong legal defense as a fundamental American right.

He even referenced his own history to justify his stance on the need for thorough investigations. Back in 2003, his now-shuttered hedge fund, Gotham Partners, was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for alleged illegal trading tactics. Although that inquiry yielded no claims of wrongdoing against him, he clearly remembers what it’s like to be under intense scrutiny.

Ackman believes that only a detailed analysis of the facts and the law can determine guilt. On Wednesday, he stated, “I strongly believe that only a detailed forensic investigation by experts and a deep understanding of the law that applies will enable us to determine whether Ross is guilty of murder.”

He wrapped up his defense by stressing the critical importance of being able to afford legal defense, no matter the accusation. “The fact that people will invest their personal funds to help an accused person provide for his or her legal defense is one of the great aspects of our country,” he added. “A world in which the accused cannot afford to pay for their defense is not a world any of us should want to live in.”