ActBlue, the powerful fundraising platform behind billions of dollars in donations to Democrat campaigns, is now at the center of a growing controversy that raises serious questions about the integrity of America’s elections.
For years, ActBlue has been plagued by allegations of foreign money, suspicious donations, and other unsavory practices. And for whatever reason, they’ve been able to get away with it. As investigations expand and lawmakers push for reform, the truth is that ActBlue is beyond reform and should be shut down.
ActBlue has been the dominant fundraising platform for Democrat and liberal causes for years, and I can’t even remember a time that the platform wasn’t accused of having significant gaps in its fraud prevention measures — issues that raise serious concerns about foreign interference in U.S. elections.
According to a report from Just The News, the fundraising giant “informed Congress it did not automatically block donations made with foreign-bought gift cards until recently, a potentially significant revelation in an ongoing investigation into whether China, Russia, Iran or Venezuela routed illicit money to Democrat candidates.”
On Sept. 9, ActBlue announced changes to its policies, pledging to block donations from foreign prepaid cards, domestic gift cards, and transactions flagged as high-risk by its fraud detection provider, Sift. This wasn’t them being proactive, though. This announcement came three days House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil introduced the SHIELD Act, legislation designed to crack down on foreign money infiltrating U.S. political fundraising.
The timing raises questions about why these safeguards weren’t already in place. According to Just the News, “Documents obtained by Congress suggest ActBlue’s vulnerabilities persisted at least through July 2023—just months before the platform announced these changes.”
For years, ActBlue failed to automatically reject donations from foreign gift cards, creating a loophole that could have allowed foreign entities to influence American elections. This is particularly concerning given ActBlue’s massive influence, having raised over $2 billion for Democrat causes since 2004. Steil’s committee is now investigating thousands of suspicious donations, including cases linked to high-risk countries such as China, Russia, and Iran.
Steil told Just the News, “We cannot allow foreign money to infiltrate our campaign finance system. Closing these loopholes is critical for the long-term protection of our elections.”
The investigations extend beyond federal oversight. In Wisconsin, a Republican strategist discovered unauthorized donations made in his name through ActBlue, prompting a subpoena for the platform’s records. State attorneys general in 19 states are also looking into suspicious donations referred by Steil’s committee. Meanwhile, House Oversight Chairman James Comer and Steil are seeking banking reports tied to ActBlue’s transactions, raising further questions about the platform’s accountability.
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ActBlue, of course, denies any wrongdoing and dismisses criticisms as “disinformation,” which speaks volumes. The platform has long appeared to be willing to push the limits of what it can get away with, only addressing vulnerabilities well after they’ve been exposed.
The SHIELD Act introduced by Steil is a vital response to close these loopholes and protect elections from foreign interference. But will this platform, which has been flouting laws for years, just find new ways to funnel possibly illegal cash to Democrats? Can we really trust them to be better in the future?
Or has ActBlue proven itself too corrupt and unreliable to be trusted with the integrity of political fundraising in America? Its long history of negligence — failing to block foreign donations, ignoring glaring vulnerabilities, and implementing crucial safeguards only after intense public scrutiny — demonstrates a pattern of reckless disregard for election security.
Despite its claims of compliance, ActBlue’s actions have repeatedly exposed our political system to potential foreign interference. This organization is beyond reform and should be permanently shut down. In its place, a new platform must be established, one built from the ground up with robust safeguards, transparency, and strict accountability measures to ensure that every dollar raised adheres to the highest ethical standards. American elections deserve nothing less.
