Aaron Holman, who started the campaign with "a group of old college friends who are fed up with what is going on," said they are "hoping that we can eliminate just one barrier" for someone to be able to come forward with the tapes.
"Someone out there is likely in possession of a piece of evidence that could be used to substantiate what many folks have always believed," the page states.
The GoFundMe campaign is seeking $5.1 million — a reference to a now-deleted tweet by television executive Chris Nee that claimed a Burnett's contracts come with a $5 million “leak fee.” Later tweets by Nee said the figure was based on "rumors."
Holman said funds will "go directly to mitigate any legal costs associated with their whistleblowing," and any remainder — or if no one comes forward — will be donated to the Center for Investigative Reporting.