ActBlue Under Fire: GOP Rep. Bryan Steil Spearheads Multi-State Probe into Alleged Democratic Fundraising Fraud

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GOP Representative Bryan Steil leads multi-state investigation into ActBlue’s alleged Democratic fundraising fraud, uncovering potential criminal activities and campaign finance law violations.

At a Glance

House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil launches probe into ActBlue, analyzing over 200 million FEC records
Investigation reveals suspicious donation patterns, including potential use of fake identities and excessive contributions
Steil calls on five state Attorneys General to conduct criminal investigations based on committee findings
ActBlue denies wrongdoing, claiming allegations are part of a disinformation campaign

Steil Spearheads Sweeping Investigation into ActBlue

Wisconsin Republican Representative Bryan Steil, chair of the House Administration Committee, has initiated a comprehensive investigation into ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s primary fundraising platform. The probe, which has been ongoing for nearly a year, has uncovered potential fraudulent activities and violations of campaign finance laws. Steil has now called upon Attorneys General from five states – Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri – to conduct criminal investigations based on the committee’s findings.

The investigation analyzed over 200 million Federal Election Commission (FEC) records from the past 14 years, revealing suspicious donation patterns. Alleged fraudulent activities include the use of fake identities to route funds illegally into political campaigns, suspicious $2.50 donations made repeatedly by the same individuals, and donations exceeding donors’ apparent financial capacities.

🚨 Today, Chairman @RepBryanSteil announced referrals to five state Attorneys General in the ActBlue investigation.https://t.co/52VXCZWhCn

— House Admin. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) September 19, 2024

Suspicious Activities and Potential Violations Uncovered

The probe involved collaboration with federal agencies, including the FEC, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and Office of Foreign Assets Control. Whistleblowers have come forward with accusations of money laundering and fraud against ActBlue, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the platform’s operations.

“When I became the Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I made a commitment that election integrity and security would be a top priority. Through our investigation into ActBlue and the reported campaign finance law violations, we upheld our commitment to the American people to increase transparency in our elections,” Chairman Steil said.

In response to the scrutiny, ActBlue has reportedly changed its policy to require Card Verification Value (CVV) codes for donations. However, concerns persist about the use of prepaid credit cards and straw donors for potentially fraudulent contributions.

Illegal and malicious conduct have no place in our elections. Ensuring all parties are complying with federal election law as we approach a presidential election is of utmost importance. I am investigating ActBlue’s lack of transparency in its online donor verification standards. pic.twitter.com/sPfzfDRtbz

— Bryan Steil (@RepBryanSteil) August 5, 2024

Legislative Action and Calls for Stricter Oversight

Steil has introduced legislation to strengthen safeguards on online political donations and has urged the FEC to tighten donor verification standards. He has specifically called on the FEC to “immediately initiate an emergency rulemaking to require political campaigns to verify the card verification value (‘CVV’) of donors who contribute online using a credit or debit card, and to prohibit political campaigns from accepting online contributions from a gift card or other prepaid credit cards.”

“Illegal and malicious conduct have no place in our elections. Ensuring all parties are complying with federal election law as we approach a presidential election is of utmost importance. By launching a new phase of our investigation into ActBlue, the Committee on House Administration has begun robust oversight of ActBlue’s lenient donor verification standards. I’m committed to ensuring Americans can have confidence in our elections and to preventing foreign or malicious actors from influencing American elections.” – Chairman Steil

The House Administration Committee has shared detailed donor records with state Attorneys General to facilitate further investigation. Steil expressed confidence in the attorneys general building on the committee’s work, stating, “I have faith that the five Attorneys General will build their investigations off the great work our Committee has done and I look forward to seeing their findings.”

As this story continues to develop, it highlights the ongoing debate over campaign finance transparency and the integrity of online political fundraising platforms. The outcome of these investigations could have significant implications for the Democratic Party’s fundraising efforts and the broader landscape of political donations in the United States.