Hager legal fund off to a flier on Givealittle

UPDATE: The Company Formerly Known as Telecom has no problem with a Nicky Hager legal fund using its Givealittle.co.nz site as a money raising vehicle (as NBR types it's at $65,000 and climbing).

Givealittle crowdfunding efforts are usually more apolitical projects involving the arts, or a child-with-disease-needs-to-travel-for-cure donation drive. However, it has been used for edgier campaigns before, notably data journalist Keith Ng raising $5808 from appreciate readers after his white-hat hack on MSD.

"As a trustee of the Spark Foundation which owns and operates Givealittle as a 'zero-fees' fundraising site, it's helpful to clarify our policy towards causes," Spark GM/corporate relations Andrew Pirie says.

"Essentially, Givealittle does not pass judgement on the merits of causes seeking to raise funds from the public."

Spark would only block fundraising where there are legal concerns about the cause, Mr Pirie says. And putting aside the debates about Nicky Hager's book, there is nothing illegal in people donating money to a legal fund.

"We leave it to the 'crowd' to decide the merits of the Hager legal fund, and any other cause for that matter," the Spark exec says.

"People have a free choice whether or not to donate. It's their money after all."

EARLIER: A legal fund started for Nicky Hager on Givealittle.co.nz is off to a flier.

After half a day, it has raised more than $14,090 from 333 donors, an average of $42 each [UPDATE: by late Sunday it was up to $50,232].

The fund was started by former Labour Youth leader Meg Bates.

Hager tells NBR he'd never heard of Bates but she contacted him about the fund as she needed his permission.

"I am very grateful someone I don’t know has done this," he says.

He confirms legal advice he's received so far over Dirty Politics from Steven Price (who vetted the manuscript) and others has been pro bono.

"But I will undoubtedly have legal bills," he says, referring to the process now under way following the raid on his home  though he would not comment on latest developments to do with the raid.

How much did Hager make from Dirty Politics?
A rumour doing the rounds on Facebook that he made $500,000 from Dirty Politics seems misguided or at least maths-challenged.

When I last checked in with publisher Craig Potton, after the controversy had peaked, 16,520 copies had been sold (14,730 of the $34.99 hard copy plus 1790 of the $19.84 e-books).

At the standard NZ author royalty rate (according to booksellers.co.nz) of 10% (best-selling authors can demand up to 25%), Hager's share will ultimately be around $56,000 (bar a small advance, royalties aren't usually paid until several months later). Better than a kick-in-the head for six months of writing and research but not anything for the record books, or to fund a heavy duty legal case.

A pirated PDF was doing the rounds from very early on. That would have hurt sales. Many on Hager's side of the fence would buy the book regardless but opponents who wanted a quick read through splayed fingers might often have gone for the freebie version.

ckeall@nbr.co.nz

Follow @ChrisKeall

READ ALSO: Tony Lentino's 'Whaleoil 2.0' site back on