On Thursday, President Donald Trump enacted a new directive that, if it unfolds as many Republicans anticipate, may result in a significant wave of arrests concerning the Democratic Party’s primary fundraising platform. It is, quite frankly, long overdue for such action.
ActBlue, the main platform for campaign contributions of the Democratic Party, is currently facing examination due to a recent presidential directive that instructs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the purported surge of foreign funds in U.S. elections. Federal laws governing campaign finance explicitly forbid noncitizens from making contributions to political candidates. This directive is largely perceived as a targeted action against ActBlue, which has been criticized by Republicans for lacking adequate measures to ensure that donors are indeed U.S. citizens.
Trump’s directive was not unexpected for leading Democrats, who had been preparing for this action for several weeks. In a correspondence to fellow party leaders, ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones stated, ‘Nothing will hinder or disrupt ActBlue’s mission to empower millions of Americans to engage in our democracy. There is a continuous and concerted effort to undermine the American people’s confidence in what can be achieved. This represents the latest iteration of ‘the big lie.’
On Thursday, ActBlue informed Politico, “ActBlue is essential in facilitating the participation of all Americans in our democracy, and the organization fully complies with all federal and state regulations pertaining to its operations. We remain unwavering in our commitment to uphold the rights of every American to engage in our democratic process, and ActBlue will persist in its mission without hesitation, offering a safe and secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots contributors who depend on our services.”
For many years, investigative journalist James O’Keefe uncovered in 2023 that Republicans have justifiably suspected ActBlue of allegedly channeling unlawful funds to Democratic candidates through its platform. In a letter addressed to Joe Biden’s Federal Elections Commission in April 2023, former Senator Marco Rubio expressed these concerns, but no action was taken.
Two weeks prior, concerning reports surfaced regarding fraudulent donations allegedly submitted to the FEC by ActBlue. These reports suggest that a significant number of individuals, including elderly citizens, have supposedly contributed to ActBlue thousands of times annually. However, recent investigative findings reveal that many of these individuals were unaware that their names and addresses were being utilized to facilitate substantial political donations, the majority of which were directed to ActBlue.
Recognizing that foreign entities utilize fraudulent accounts to take advantage of donation systems lacking strong verification measures, the majority of individual campaigns and political action committees (PACs) mandate the provision of CVV numbers for online donations. In contrast to most organizations, ActBlue does not impose CVV number requirements for donations, thereby positioning itself as a potential enabler of fraudulent activities.
Currently, Trump’s latest directive expands on a congressional investigation led by Republicans regarding the legitimacy of donors utilizing the platform. Last October, Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), the chair of the House Committee on Administration, addressed a letter to ActBlue seeking information and documentation on the methods employed by the platform to verify the identities of its donors, especially those making contributions in the range of five or six figures, which could greatly impact the results of an election.
Two months later, Steil stated that his pressure had compelled ActBlue to implement measures that will automatically reject donations made with foreign prepaid or gift cards, domestic gift cards, those originating from high-risk or sanctioned countries, and those deemed to carry the highest level of risk. He described these measures as a positive advancement, yet emphasized that further efforts are necessary. However, this belated initiative appears to be insufficient. Trump has assigned Bondi to the matter, suggesting that it may be prudent for ActBlue supporters and management to seek legal counsel.
