George Zimmerman speaks in a video on his website TheRealGeorgeZimmerman.com, which was relaunched Thursday.
Zimmerman’s website was reopened Thursday and includes a personal message from Zimmerman in the form of a video thanking his supporters.
“I hope to be your website to provide facts,” he said in the video.
The website is also meant to encourage donations to Zimmerman’s legal fund, which has dwindled as costs for the defendant rise.
“The fund has been devastated by the need to pay $100,000 to a bondsman and almost $50,000 in security expenses,” he wrote. “The skyrocketing legal costs have gone unpaid. The defense fund is at its lowest point since its inception; in fact, with outstanding expenses yet unpaid, the fund is near depletion.”
Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder for the shooting and killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in February. Since the incident occurred, Zimmerman has maintained he shot the teenager in self-defense after being attacked.
On the website Zimmerman wrote he has been grossly misrepresented in the media and on the internet.
“This website is dedicated to providing a voice for George Zimmerman, identifying and correcting misinformation, and it is used as a venue where George's supporters can offer words of encouragement and financial support,” he wrote.
The website was originally opened in April by a family member of Zimmerman with a PayPal account for supporters to donate to his legal fund. The monies donated eventually became a controversy during Zimmerman’s initial bond hearing, as the fund had risen to more than $130,000 – a fact Zimmerman’s wife Shellie failed to admit in court.
She was eventually charged with perjury for the omission.
Since then, Zimmerman’s legal fund has been put into the hands of a third party and is administered by his attorney Mark O’Mara. Those wishing to donate can visit GZDefenseFund.com.
In addition to the relaunch of the website, Zimmerman also appeared in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday evening where he spoke openly about the events surrounding the shooting and his opinion of what happened.
Most notably, Zimmerman told Hannity that shooting Martin was all part of “God’s plan.”
Zimmerman also apologized to Martin’s parents, stating he prays for them daily.
“I would tell them again that I’m sorry. I am sorry they buried their child. I can’t imagine what it must feel like,” he told Hannity.
In an interview the following day, Martin’s parents reacted to the statements negatively saying Zimmerman was just trying to “save face” and his apology was insincere.
Martin’s father Tracy Martin said, “That’s heartless to say that that was God’s plan that he took our child’s life.”
Martin’s mother Sybrina Fulton said, “Why would God have him kill an unarmed teenager?”
Attorney for the parents, Benjamin Crump, said Zimmerman’s account of the night has been inconsistent and the interview was just the latest example.
“The State Attorney is going to see this interview as a gift when they go to cross-examine him,” said Crump.
Only one day after the interview aired, the State Attorney’s Office had already entered it into the evidence. The discovery of the evidence came only days after the State Attorney’s Office filed a response to O’Mara’s motion requesting to disqualify the judge in the case, Judge Kenneth Lester.
In the response Assistant State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda stated O’Mara and Zimmerman’s concerns about being treated unfairly by Lester were unfounded, as O’Mara has continued to make comments to the media throughout the case. De la Rionda cited several statements made to the media and claimed O’Mara’s concerns are ironic because of the publicity he has sought in the case.
“Despite these and other comments peppered throughout his numerous public media appearances in the instant case, interspersed with pleas for donors to add to the fund which Defendant initially took such pains to conceal from the Court, counsel for the Defendant now claims that he and his client fear that the Court has a negative impression of Defendant’s credibility,” de la Rionda wrote. “’Ironic’ is perhaps an understatement in that context.”
Lester has not responded to the request as of yet.