The Conjuring House Controversy: Why Jason Hawes’ GoFundMe is Sparking some Outrage and Ethical Headaches in the Paranormal World
The announcement of paranormal investigator Jason Hawes, known for Ghost Hunters, launching a GoFundMe to purchase the infamous Conjuring House has ignited some criticism within some areas of the paranormal community on facebook posts and redit community groups, While ostensibly an effort to “save” the house for the community, a deeper dive reveals a troubling ethical quagmire, accusations of opportunism, and a dangerous precedent for the entire field is speculated online.
Hawes himself has admitted to having “never wanted to buy the Conjuring House,” publicly stating his disinterest numerous times. His pivot came, he claims, after impassioned pleas from the Perron family and former staff to prevent the property from further “exploitation.” Yet, for many, this sudden change of heart, coupled with a public fundraising campaign, raises more questions than answers.
The core of the backlash stems from a few key areas:
1. The Critical Lack of Transparency: The “Shadow Investor” and the Private Pledge
The recent announcement of an anonymous $400,000 pledge—only conditional on the public hitting the $600,000 target—is seen as a major red flag for transparency.
- Bypassing Disclosure: By keeping the pledge off-platform, Hawes deliberately bypasses the standard disclosure GoFundMe requires. Although the $400,000 donor could have easily donated through GoFundMe as “anonymous” so the general public could not see their name, the organizer (Hawes) would still see their legal name. The choice to make this a private pledge is a calculated move to achieve full anonymity, preventing the public from knowing who the major financial backer is and raising a significant ethical red flag because the public is funding a venture with a secret partner.
- The Conditional Investment: Hawes has made it clear that the $400,000 is a “private pledge, not affiliated with GoFundMe,” and is conditional on the public raising the first $600,000. This means the public’s donations are being used to de-risk the private investors (Hawes and the anonymous party) by proving the fund’s viability before they commit their money.
- Concealing a Major Investment Stake: A $400,000 contribution to the $1.5 million venture is financially an investment, not a charitable gift. The concealment of this “shadow investor” creates significant distrust, as the public is essentially funding a private company where a major financial backer’s motives, control, and potential ownership stake are completely unknown.
2. The Unaddressed Family Tie: Satori Hawes and Cody DesBiens
The public is rightly concerned because Hawes has not explicitly ruled out a future ownership or management role for his daughter and her partner, Satori Hawes and Cody DesBiens.
- Absence of Proof is the Problem: The lack of confirmed legal proof that they will get a stake is not a defense; it is the source of the criticism. The problem is that Hawes has been vague and non-committal on the subject, only stating the LLC will be run by “those from its history.” This ambiguity is viewed as a deliberate omission intended to suppress public debate.
- Controversial History: The need for transparency is amplified by Satori and Cody’s previous controversial tenure at the house, which ended amid public accusations of “fraudulent” investigation methods. Critics believe the venture is ultimately designed to personally benefit the Hawes family and their brand, without having to face scrutiny over the family members’ roles.
3. A Dangerous Precedent: Commercializing Historic Sites with Public Funds
This campaign sets a dangerous precedent, as many in the paranormal community believe crowdfunding should not be used to acquire assets for private business use. Many ghost hunters say GoFundMe shouldn’t be used for things like to buy cars, paranormal equipment, to hire locations, and especially buy haunted houses.
- The Slippery Slope: If a prominent figure like Hawes successfully acquires a legendary paranormal location via crowdfunding, critics fear it will open the floodgates. Smaller, local paranormal teams may start setting up their own GoFundMe campaigns to buy local houses that are historic, and people will start to have a problem with it. This creates a situation where valuable historical properties are converted into private, for-profit venues, fueling public resentment and leading to battles over “who gets to own” a location based on fundraising prowess, rather than true historical preservation efforts.
- The Celebrity Double Standard: This campaign essentially makes it “okay for Jason, but not okay for others.” If an unknown team launched the same campaign, they would face immediate accusations of exploitation, yet Hawes’ standing allows him to rally significant support.
4. Exploitation of Fan Trust and the True Profit Motive
The ethical confusion is compounded by the fact that the property is being acquired through public sentiment but will operate as a private enterprise.
- Abuse of Trust and Wealth: Critics view this as an exploitation of fan trust, asking his audience to contribute capital for what will ultimately become a private, for-profit business venture that will appreciate in value and generate revenue for a celebrity who has already committed to personally matching a million dollars.
- The Full Financial Ecosystem: While the physical house itself is a massive profit generator, the value to the Hawes family extends significantly into ancillary streams: exclusive content creation, brand opportunities, merchandise sales, and leveraging the house’s fame for celebrity appearances.
- The “Community House” Illusion: If Hawes succeeds, donors contributing to the GoFundMe are not buying shares; they are making donations to a private LLC. If a donor later finds themselves unable to afford the entry fee for an investigation or tour—which will be priced to cover operational costs, insurance, and the LLC’s needs—the feeling that their “community house” is out of reach will lead to significant disappointment and resentment.
4. Unnamed Criticism vs. Stated Price
Hawes has a track record of publicly attacking what he terms “bad” paranormal business practices, often resorting to thinly veiled criticisms or “fly digs” against prominent competitors in the field.
The Irony of Pricing: This condemnation is argued to be fundamentally disingenuous. While promoting his campaign on a platform of “affordability” and “preserving history,” Hawes subsequently confirmed in a public broadcast that investigations at the LLC-owned Conjuring House would be priced at $150–$250 per person. This per-head rate is comparable to, or even higher than, many other commercial haunted attractions he appears to condemn, effectively mirroring the very high-priced commercialization he claims he is trying to stop. redit sorce of info
The Calculated Ambiguity: He notably posted a video leveling criticism at other prominent YouTubers who purchased a haunted location and began charging “exorbitant rates.” While Hawes refused to name the individuals, the target of his attack was obvious to anyone following the widely publicized paranormal news and drama, a context that was being heavily covered by various debunking channels. This refusal to name the subject, critics argue, is a form of dishonesty—allowing him to take the moral high ground without being held accountable for a direct public confrontation. The subsequent use of the rhetorical question, “How do they know it’s about them, no names were mentioned?” to deflect criticism is widely seen as a disingenuous attempt to gaslight the discussion.
5.The Delayed Philanthropy: The Million-Dollar Matching Controversy
The Perception of Manipulation: This significant delay in announcing a million-dollar matching pledge immediately raised questions among critics. If Hawes was financially capable and willing to commit up to $1 million of his own money to the cause, many wondered why the campaign was presented as an urgent, community-dependent effort from the start. This led to the perception that the initial campaign was designed to validate community demand and collect grassroots funding before Hawes committed his own capital, rather than leading with a strong, transparent financial plan from day one.
The Question of Necessity: Hawes initially launched the GoFundMe campaign appealing to the “paranormal community” to contribute to the $1.5 million goal, stating he “can’t do this alone.” Several days after the campaign was launched and thousands of dollars had been donated by the public, Hawes announced a significant update: a commitment to personally match every dollar raised, up to $1,000,000.
(if there is any updates or changes that need to be made please comment below with what needs to be added)
this article is just highlghts many things what people have discussed online and placed in one area to compile.
DO YOU AGREE with the conjuring house go fund me? honest answers please.
