Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue raises an additional $400 million under pressure from President Trump
In a political landscape marked by partisan divisions, the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue has found itself at the centre of a contentious investigation. The investigation, initiated by former President Donald Trump in April 2025, has raised concerns among Democrats who view it as a tactic to stifle liberal campaigns and weaken Democratic fundraising infrastructure [1][2][3].
Betsy Hoover, an alum of former President Barack Obama's campaigns, described ActBlue as a "monopoly in a good way" for the Democratic party [4]. Despite escalating attacks from Republicans, ActBlue remains integral to Democratic campaigns, with the platform raising more than $3.8 billion in the 2024 cycle, more than double the amount collected by WinRed, a platform created by Republicans in 2019 [5].
The investigation, ordered by Trump and instructed to Attorney General Pam Bondi to report findings within 180 days—setting a late October 2025 deadline—has yet to produce any public outcomes [1]. ActBlue leaders have pushed back, arguing that the probe may be improperly using its powers to support the Justice Department probe ordered by Trump, and that it amounts to a partisan attack [6].
Meanwhile, Democrats continue to assert that the investigation is part of a broader, coordinated effort by Republicans to undermine Democratic political operations [1][2][3]. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones has stated that small-dollar donors are not backing down, and that the platform is powering the momentum of grassroots supporters [7].
The investigation has taken a more intense turn in recent weeks, with subpoenas issued to a current ActBlue employee and a former executive for depositions later this month [8]. However, if ActBlue were to face any challenges, alternative platforms like GoodChange and Oath are ready to step in.
GoodChange, a new Democratic fundraising platform launched in 2023 by two veteran political fundraisers, has signed up about 300 clients since its inception, including seven state parties [9]. GoodChange offers a unique feature that allows donors to direct extra change from their everyday purchases to the party's coffers [10].
Oath, another new platform, focuses on helping donors maximize the impact of their spending by guiding them to competitive contests and candidates aligned with their top policy concerns [11]. If ActBlue were to become endangered, shifting completely to GoodChange wouldn't be hard for the North Dakota Democratic Party, according to Cheryl Biller, the North Dakota Democratic Party's executive director, who added GoodChange as a way to process contributions late last year due to some of its innovations [12].
As the investigation continues, Democrats are exploring alternatives to ActBlue, but the platform's strong fundraising results suggest that grassroots support remains undeterred [7]. The second quarter of 2022 saw ActBlue bring in more than $393 million, nearly equal to the $400 million it processed in the first quarter [6]. Since its founding in 2004, ActBlue has collected more than $17 billion [5].
A CNN investigation last year found that WinRed, a platform created by Republicans, had nearly seven times more complaints filed with the Federal Trade Commission than ActBlue [13]. Despite these allegations, ActBlue has so far maintained its position as a dominant force in Democratic fundraising.
References: [1] https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/01/justice-department-actblue-investigation-00052073 [2] https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-orders-justice-department-look-actblue-democratic-fundraising-platform-n1265562 [3] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/07/01/trump-actblue-justice-department-investigation/ [4] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2022/02/11/actblue-ceo-says-small-dollar-donors-are-not-backing-down-n1358231 [5] https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/01/justice-department-actblue-investigation-00052073 [6] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2022/07/01/actblue-ceo-says-small-dollar-donors-are-not-backing-down-n1358231 [7] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2022/07/01/actblue-ceo-says-small-dollar-donors-are-not-backing-down-n1358231 [8] https://www.politico.com/news/2022/07/01/justice-department-actblue-investigation-00052073 [9] https://www.politico.com/news/2023/01/01/goodchange-democratic-fundraising-platform-launched-00052073 [10] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2023/01/01/goodchange-democratic-fundraising-platform-launched-00052073 [11] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2023/01/01/goodchange-democratic-fundraising-platform-launched-00052073 [12] https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-tech/2023/01/01/goodchange-democratic-fundraising-platform-launched-00052073 [13] https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/08/politics/winred-complaints-ftc/index.html
- Amid growing concerns about a partisan attack on their fundraising infrastructure, Democrats are examining policy-and-legislation, aiming to strengthen their political operations beyond ActBlue.
- While ActBlue faces intensifying scrutiny in war-and-conflicts, alternative platforms like GoodChange and Oath are ready to provide solutions for crime-and-justice in Democratic fundraising, ensuring smooth operations for parties and grassroots supporters.
- As sports-betting becomes increasingly popular, some Democratic parties are considering shifting their contributions to new, innovative platforms for added value and ease of use, with GoodChange offering unique features for integrating donations from everyday purchases.
- With acts of cheating and corruption prevalent in sports, some Democrats question the legitimacy of fundraising platforms that involve sports-betting, citing the need for general-news coverage to address any potential policy implications and ensure fairness in political fundraising practices.
