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Trump directs Justice Dept. to investigate ActBlue, Democrats’ cash engine
Trump called for an investigation by Attorney General Pam Bondi into ActBlue, which is used across the Democratic Party’s ecosystem to collect donations online.
President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, the Somerville-based fundraising platform that powers virtually every Democratic candidate and cause. The move steps up Republicans’ effort to cripple their opponents’ political infrastructure.
Trump called for an investigation by Attorney General Pam Bondi into ActBlue, which is used across the Democratic Party’s ecosystem to collect donations online. The inquiry is ostensibly meant to look into possible illegal donations made by people in someone else’s name, known as straw donations, as well as hard-dollar contributions from foreign donors. Trump asked for a report on the results of Bondi’s investigation within 180 days.
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Federal election law bars straw donations, and it prohibits foreign citizens without permanent residency from donating directly to federal political candidates or political action committees.
A Justice Department investigation into ActBlue is likely to create vulnerabilities for the entire Democratic fundraising apparatus. Party consultants have relied on ActBlue to bring in donations. Candidates, committees for federal and state legislative chambers, and liberal caucuses use the platform as their primary mechanism to process donations.
“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 spokesperson. “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 fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us.”
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The leaders of the Democratic National Committee and the party’s campaign committees for governors, the House and the Senate released a joint statement saying Trump’s action was “designed to undermine democratic participation.”
“He’s trying to block lawful grassroots donations from supporters giving just $5 or $10 to candidates who oppose him while further empowering the corrupt billionaires who already control his administration,” they said.
ActBlue has faced internal turmoil since Trump won the presidential election in November. At least seven senior officials quit the organization in late February, prompting two employee unions to warn of an “alarming pattern” of departures that was “eroding our confidence in the stability of the organization.”
This month, the leaders of three Republican-led House committees accused the group of not doing enough to prevent fraud and demanded more information about the recent resignations.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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