Democrats' Digital Fundraising Operations Faces Attacks from Trump
Revamped Version
President Trump goes on the offensive against Democratic fundraising websites, starting with ActBlue, a prominent online platform for Democratic grassroots donations. In a shocking move, the Trump administration announced an investigation into ActBlue, claiming it might be a haven for foreign nationals meddling in American elections.
The executive order, signed on Thursday and published on the White House website, appoints Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant to probe fundraising sites like ActBlue for any signs of underhanded activities. The order states:
..."press reports and investigations by congressional committees have unveiled alarming evidence that online fundraising platforms, including ActBlue, have been willing accessories to schemes aimed at funneling unlawful contributions to political candidates and committees.
Specifically, these reports raise flags that malign actors are trying to bypass Federal source and amount limitations on political contributions. They do this by breaking down large contributions from one source into multiple smaller contributions, often without the knowledge or consent of the alleged contributors. Such illicit transactions might be made through dummy accounts and gift cards/prepaid credit cards to evade detection.
The order empowers Bondi and Bessant to use all lawful means to scrutinize these online fundraising tools for indications of foreign influence."
The order cites a previous inquiry by House Republicans into ActBlue, which supposedly exposed evidence of foreign-based fraud on the platform.
ActBlue isn’t the only game in town, though. Republicans also have their own fundraising operation known as WinRed, launched during Trump's first administration in 2019. A for-profit tool, WinRed was designed to help the GOP compete with ActBlue and has faced criticism from within its own ranks. The platform has even been investigated by several state attorneys general for its fundraising tactics.
ActBlue defends its actions, stating that it has weeded out and declined fraudulent donations, and blocked contributions from suspicious foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards. However, a joint interim report released by House committees in April 2025 revealed that ActBlue made its fraud-prevention standards more lenient twice in 2024, raising concerns about its commitment to preventing unlawful donations.
This investigation into ActBlue doesn't come without controversy. Critics argue that it's part of a political power play, with Trump targeting the financial backbone of the Democratic Party's fundraising efforts. Additionally, various state attorneys general have opened investigations into ActBlue, highlighting concerns surrounding online political fundraising and its susceptibility to illicit activities.
- The recent investigation into ActBlue, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, is focused on the technology platform's potential involvement in policy-and-legislation matters, specifically allegations of underhanded activities and foreign influence in American politics.
- Gizmodo released an article highlighting the ongoing controversy surrounding ActBlue, discussing claims of illicit political contributions and reforms in the tech company's fraud-prevention standards, which were allegedly made more lenient in 2024.
- In the realm of tech and politics, the future of online fundraising policies and legislation is under scrutiny, as investigations into platforms like ActBlue and competitors like WinRed continue, raising questions about transparency, foreign interference, and the general news landscape of political fundraising.
