On Thursday, President Trump ordered the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, the fundraising platform that supports virtually every Democratic campaign in the United States. The investigation apparently aims to check for possible illegal and fictitious donations and cash contributions from foreign donors.
Trump has requested a report from Attorney General Pam Bondi within 180 days. The president’s action poses a threat to one of the left’s key financial cogs, potentially hampering Democrats’ ability to compete in elections.
Congressional Republicans, for their part, have separately investigated what they say are insufficient security measures presented by the platform. For days, Democrats had feared that the White House was planning executive orders or memos that would target a number of organizations related to their party. The Republican investigation into ActBlue will focus on claims, so far unsubstantiated, that the platform allowed fictitious donations and donations from abroad, both of which are prohibited by federal law.
“ActBlue plays a vital role in enabling all Americans to participate in our democracy, and the organization strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities,” said Megan Hughes, an ActBlue spokeswoman, “We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy, and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fund-raising platform for the millions of grass-roots donors who rely on us.”
The Democratic National Committee also spoke on the matter, reporting, “Trump is trying to block lawful grass-roots donations from supporters giving just $5 or $10 to candidates who oppose him while further empowering the corrupt billionaires who already control his administration”.
There is now fear in the Democratic Party that any entity that has used ActBlue may soon find itself embroiled in an investigation by the Justice Department. Since Trump returned to the White House, the fundraising platform has frequently been the subject of often unfounded allegations.
In April, leaders of three Republican-led House committees accused the company of not doing enough to prevent fraud. Last month, Congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona asked the FBI to investigate whether ActBlue had allowed Democrats to circumvent the integrity of federal campaign finance laws.
“ActBlue is guilty of widespread criminal identity theft”, claimed Elon Musk, who repeatedly attacked the platform during the last election campaign. In the meantime, Musk contributed just over 250 million dollars to Donald Trump’s campaign and there have been accusations (though as yet unproven) suggesting potential legal concerns regarding his financial support of the Trump campaign. As one example, Musk’s America PAC faced allegations of running an illegal lottery during the campaign, where $1 million daily giveaways were offered to registered voters in battleground states. The GOP’s focus, however, is on Democratic fundraising.
