Democrats' Online Fundraising Platforms Targeted by Trump
Fresh Take:
Donald Trump's latest move targets Democrats' political campaign funds, focusing on online fundraising websites. The White House published an executive order last Thursday, initiating a probe into ActBlue, the primary Democratic Party's grassroots fundraising tool.
The executive order, published on the White House website, raises concerns about foreign nationals possibly using fundraising sites like ActBlue to contribute to American elections. The Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessant, are tasked with investigating these sites for suspicious activities. The order points out:
...preliminary reports and inquiries by Congressional committees suggest that online fundraising platforms have knowingly collaborated in schemes to exceed contribution limits and funnel prohibited funds to political candidates and committees.
The order elaborates:
specifically, these reports indicate that malicious actors are attempting to bypass Federal contribution restrictions by dividing significant contributions from one source into numerous smaller contributions, misleadingly attributed to multiple individuals, without their knowledge or consent. The reports also hint at the existence of 'dummy' accounts, potentially employing gift cards or prepaid credit cards to evade detection.
The order empowers Bondi and Bessant to utilize "all legal means," as necessary, to scrutinize the fundraising tools for indications of foreign interference. The White House did not respond to Gizmodo's inquiry for more details.
The order references a previous investigation by House Republicans into ActBlue, which supposedly unearthed evidence of foreign-based fraud on the platform.
Interestingly, Republicans have their counterpart fundraising operation, WinRed, which debuted during Trump's initial term in 2019. WinRed serves as a for-profit fundraising tool and a means for the GOP to challenge Democrats' ActBlue. The Trump administration actively pressed Republicans to utilize the tool, which, however, has underperformed compared to its Democratic rival and has often faced criticism from within the Republican party. WinRed has previously been subject to investigations by various state attorneys general due to its aggressive fundraising tactics.
Enrichment Data Highlights:
- The Presidential Memorandum, signed on April 24, 2025, orders the Attorney General to investigate allegations of unlawful "straw donor" and foreign contributions in American elections, including ActBlue's role in such activities.[1][2]
- A recent congressional investigation uncovered that ActBlue identified at least 22 "significant fraud campaigns," with nearly half having a foreign nexus. During a 30-day period during the 2024 campaign, ActBlue detected 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards.[1][2]
- The investigation into ActBlue has inadvertently led to a surge in donations for Democratic candidates, with ActBlue experiencing its most successful fundraising day of the year following the announcement.[4]
- The ongoing investigation requires the Attorney General to submit findings to the President, but no specific results or conclusions have been publicly announced yet.[2]
- The executive order targeting online fundraising websites like ActBlue has raised concerns about foreign influence in American elections, as alleged instances of straw donors and foreign contributions are being investigated by the Attorney General.
- The White House's probe into ActBlue follows preliminary reports and congressional inquiries suggesting that online fundraising platforms may have knowingly collaborated in schemes to exceed contribution limits and funnel prohibited funds to political candidates.
- The ongoing investigation into ActBlue, which includes scrutinizing possible suspicious activities such as 'dummy' accounts, gift cards, and prepaid credit cards, has unexpectedly boosted donations for Democratic candidates, with ActBlue recording its most successful fundraising day of the year following the announcement.
