President Donald Trump on Thursday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate ActBlue and other donation groups as the administration cracks down on “illegal ‘straw donor’ and foreign contributions in American elections.”
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The move comes after reports and congressional investigations concerning potentially illegal activities occurring on online fundraising platforms.
- Recently uncovered evidence suggests that online fundraising platforms are being used to launder excessive and prohibited contributions to political candidates and committees.
- Bad actors have sought to evade Federal source and amount limitations by breaking down large contributions into smaller ones, often attributing them to numerous individuals without their consent or knowledge.
- These “straw donations” are frequently made through “dummy” accounts, using methods such as gift cards or prepaid credit cards to avoid detection.
- ActBlue has become notorious for its lax standards that enable unverified and fraudulent donations.
- A recent House of Representatives investigation found that ActBlue detected at least 22 “significant fraud campaigns” in recent years—nearly half of which had a foreign nexus.
- Over a 30-day window during the 2024 election cycle, ActBlue detected 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards.
- The investigation revealed that ActBlue trained employees to “look for reasons to accept contributions,” even in the face of suspicious activity.
- Until recently, ActBlue accepted political contributions without requiring a card verification value (CVV), making it easy to contribute without identity verification.
- Before addressing this issue in response to a congressional investigation, ActBlue tested whether this would hurt its fundraising.
- Numerous state attorneys general have opened investigations into ActBlue over suspicious donations made through obscured identities and untraceable means. (White House)
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The memorandum demonstrates Trump’s commitment to ensuring U.S. elections will be “secure once and for all,” a White House fact sheet said.
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