Democrats' Online Fundraising Platforms Vulnerable to Attacks by Trump
Unfiltered Scoop:
Trump's Taking Aim at Dems' Online War Chests!
The old man himself, President Trump, has declared war on the online fundraising platforms that fuel the majority of Democratic political campaigns. He dropped an executive order onto the White House website on Thursday, initiating a plan to scrutinize ActBlue, the Democratic Party's principal grassroots fundraising tool.
This executive order, seems like it's straight outta a political thriller, claims that "foreign nationals" could be sneaking in donations to American elections through platforms like ActBlue. It authorizes the new Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessant, to dig into these sites for signs of hanky-panky.
The order chuckles about press reports and Congressional probes that supposedly unveiled the online fundraising platforms as "willing conspirators" in shady contribution laundering schemes. It raises eyebrows over concerns that sly operators might be duping federal contribution restrictions by splitting large contributions into many tiny ones, supposedly without the donors' knowledge or consent. It also winks at concerns that these donations could be arriving through dummy accounts, using gift cards or prepaid credit cards to slip under the radars.
Bondi and Bessant have been given the green light to investigate these fundraising tools for signs of foreign influence. Gizmodo jumped on the Trump administration for some deets.
The order casually mentions a previous probe by House Republicans into ActBlue, which seemingly uncovered evidence of foreign-based fraud on the platform.
A bit of backstory: Republicans have got their own online fundraising operation that went live in Trump's first term. WinRed was born in 2019 as a for-profit fundraising tool, a means for the GOP to keep up with the Democrats' ActBlue. The Trump administration dug its heels in to convince Republicans to jump aboard this platform, which has not exactly set the world on fire and has often been dogged by criticism from Republicans themselves. The platform has been investigated by several state attorneys general for the tactics it used to lure in donations.
Incase You Missed it:
ActBlue is a well-known online fundraising platform favored by Democratic contenders and groups. U.S. law prohibits political donations under another person's name or from foreign nationals. Despite these rules, there've been doubts about the misuse of such platforms for "straw donor" schemes, where big contributions are fragmented into smaller ones attributed to numerous individuals, potentially without their knowledge or consent.
The Nitty-Gritty:
- The Presidential Memo: On April 24, 2025, Trump greenlit an investigation into allegations of "straw donor" and foreign contributions through platforms like ActBlue, following whispers and Congressional investigations alleging these platforms were evading federal laws.
- Evidence and Red Flags: A House investigation exposed that ActBlue flagged at least 22 significant fraud campaigns, with almost half sporting a foreign whiff. During the 2024 election cycle, ActBlue flagged 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards, hinting at foreign influence.
The Reactions:
- ActBlue's Take: ActBlue called the investigation a "brazen attack on democracy" by Trump, suggesting it was more about silencing political opposition than dealing with election integrity concerns.
- The Republican Point of View: Republicans framed the investigation as a crackdown on "dark money" and foreign influence in elections, with the Republican National Committee Chair underlining the need to nip hidden funding sources in the bud.
- Criticisms and Controversies: Critics cry foul, viewing the investigation as politically motivated. They argue if Trump's truly concerned about election integrity, he should focus on secretive funding channels, including those used by his supporters, like Elon Musk's dark money endeavors.
- Chairman Steil's Stand: Chairman Bryan Steil backed Trump's move, stressing the importance of keeping foreign funding out of U.S. elections. He also pointed out the passage of the SHIELD Act in September 2024, which aimed to bar foreign interference in elections.
- Gizmodo reported on the investigation launched by the Trump administration, focusing on alleged foreign contributions and "straw donor" schemes through platforms like ActBlue.
- The 2025 presidential memo, signed by Trump, authorizes an investigation into such practices, citing concerns about foreign influence and donations disguised as smaller individual contributions.
- In response, ActBlue described the investigation as a malicious attack on democracy rather than a genuine concern for election integrity.
- On the other hand, Republicans view the investigation as an essential crackdown on dark money and foreign influence in elections.
- Critics argue that the investigation might be politically driven, with a call for Trump to address secretive funding channels, such as Elon Musk's dark money endeavors, if genuinely concerned about election integrity.
- Evidence from the House investigation points to at least 22 significant fraudulent campaigns on ActBlue with a foreign undertone, as well as 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards during the 2024 election cycle, suggesting foreign interference.
