The Lowdown on the House's ActBlue Probe: Republican Action Alert
House committees implicate major Democratic fundraising organization in aiding 'suspect entities' in a startling Justice Department correspondence
Your friendly guide here, ready to break down the brewing drama between the House of Representatives and ActBlue.
Chaos at Newark Liberty International Airport might be grabbing headlines, but don't miss the unfolding story in the halls of Congress. On Wednesday, three top committees in the House of Representatives delivered an update to the Department of Justice about their long-standing investigation into ActBlue.
As reported exclusively by Fox, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), and Committee on House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) have been inspecting ActBlue, the popular Democratic fundraising platform, for years.
These committees claim that their investigation has unveiled potentially shaky fraud-prevention practices and a tendency to overlook bad actors who use the platform to funnel illicit political donations. They assert that these questionable activities could potentially affect US political campaigns and elections.
Steil first flagged concerns about ActBlue in late 2023, following allegations that the platform does not require a card verification value (CVV) number for credit card donations, weakening the security of such transactions. The platform's response to queries on this matter was deemed unsatisfactory by Republicans.
In August 2024, however, ActBlue reportedly required CVV numbers for donations on pages observed by Fox Digital, including former Vice President Kamala Harris' White House campaign page. Despite this, Republicans pressed ActBlue further, according to the letter sent by the committees.
Subpoenas were issued by Steil's panel, requesting documents regarding ActBlue's donor verification policies, contributions originating outside the United States, deplatformed entities, and reported unauthorized or fraudulent donations.
ActBlue's responsive documents confirmed that the platform accepted unverified payments during a period of record campaign fundraising. However, the platform claims it has since updated its policies to reject donations without safeguards like a CVV requirement.
The committees' investigation found that ActBlue implemented these changes only after ensuring they wouldn't negatively impact donations from Democrats. Inquiries into whether ActBlue and related entities are effectively deterring foreign actors have shed light on some aspects of their operations, but numerous questions remain unanswered.
Last month, the committees released a report alleging that ActBlue executives and staff are aware that both foreign and domestic fraudulent actors are exploiting the platform but don't take the threat seriously.
Fox Digital reached out to ActBlue for comment, but as of now, the platform has not responded. Previously, ActBlue dismissed Steil's accusations as inaccuracies and misrepresentations.
A DOJ spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined to comment further.
Elizabeth Elkind, our dedicated politics reporter, is leading coverage of the House of Representatives and can be followed on Twitter at @liz_elkind or reached by email at [email protected]. Keep an eye on this developing story as we bring you more updates!
- Republican committees in the House of Representatives, including the House Oversight Committee, House Judiciary Committee, and Committee on House Administration, continue to investigate ActBlue, a popular Democratic fundraising platform.
- Allegations against ActBlue include potentially weak fraud-prevention practices and a tendency to overlook bad actors who use the platform to funnel illicit political donations, which could affect US political campaigns and elections.
- Steil's panel issued subpoenas to ActBlue, requesting documents regarding donor verification policies, contributions originating outside the United States, deplatformed entities, and reported unauthorized or fraudulent donations.
- ActBlue's investigation found that the platform accepted unverified payments during a period of record campaign fundraising but later updated its policies to reject donations without safeguards like a CVV requirement. However, the committees' investigation suggests that these changes were only implemented after ensuring they wouldn't negatively impact donations from Democrats.
