Politics
ActBlue fires back at GOP investigation, saying it appears unconstitutional and partisan
ActBlue is fighting back against a House Republican investigation into its workings, saying the probe appears to have become an unconstitutional abuse of power to help the White House.
The Democratic online fundraising platform said Monday in a letter obtained by POLITICO that it was reevaluating whether to cooperate with the ongoing congressional investigation into fraud on its platform in light of President Donald Trump’s executive action to investigate potential foreign contributions on ActBlue and House Republicans’ public statements supporting the White House.
“If the Committees are now working to gather information on behalf of Department of Justice prosecutors, rather than for legitimate legislative purposes, that would fundamentally transform the nature of your investigation — and violate ActBlue’s constitutional rights,” ActBlue’s lawyers wrote in the letter Monday to GOP Reps. Jim Jordan, James Comer and Bryan Steil.
The allegations are an escalation in the conflict between House Republicans and ActBlue, the behemoth Democratic fundraising platform that has long been in GOP crosshairs as it has helped the left build a massive fundraising advantage. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones told Blue Light News last month that ActBlue believes the platform has “nothing to hide” but needs to better communicate its role in light of the attacks.
In the letter, lawyers representing ActBlue ask the congressional committees investigating the platform to clarify the purpose of their work. They argue public statements from Jordan, Comer and Steil indicate they are seeking to help the Trump Justice Department’s separate investigation into ActBlue, rather than carry out congressional oversight.
And they note that the “selective focus” of the investigation does not appear to include WinRed, the GOP’s primary online fundraising counterpart — and thus may be intended to hurt Democrats, not provide legitimate oversight of American elections.
“The Committees’ selective focus on ActBlue also suggests that the investigation may be a partisan effort directed at harming political opponents rather than gathering facts to assist in lawmaking efforts,” the letter reads. “Such an action would raise substantial First Amendment concerns.”
Spokespeople for the GOP committees investigating ActBlue did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for ActBlue also did not immediately comment.
The letter comes as the Trump administration is also going after ActBlue. Trump signed a memorandum in April ordering Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate the potential use of foreign “straw” donations in online fundraising, citing concerns about foreign influence in elections based in part on the work of the GOP-led congressional committees. ActBlue was the only platform named in the order. The memorandum calls for Bondi to report back in 90 days, which would be late July.
Under federal law, only U.S. citizens and green card holders can give to campaigns and political action committees. Republicans have long argued that ActBlue, which processed billions of dollars in donations for Democrats last year, is not strict enough in weeding out potential foreign contributions. ActBlue has countered that it has processes to catch illegal donation attempts and that similar challenges exist on other platforms, including WinRed.
The platform’s lawyers also suggested that ActBlue’s further cooperation with the congressional probes could depend on the extent of the committees’ work with the Justice Department.
“In light of your public statements, it is essential that we receive more information about your agreement to coordinate the Committees’ activities with the Executive Branch, so that ActBlue may properly evaluate its ongoing efforts to cooperate with the Committees,” the platform’s lawyers wrote.
ActBlue previously turned over thousands of pages of internal documents to the committees, some voluntarily, and then later under subpoena. The committees released an interim report in April that cited cases of fraud identified in the ActBlue documents as a means to argue that the platform had an “unserious” approach to fraud prevention.
Politics
A note to our readers
As I begin my first week as Blue Light News’s Global Editor-in-Chief, I want to start by thanking you — our readers and subscribers — for the trust you place in Blue Light News.
Our best-in-class reporters and editors — all 550 of them around the globe — start each day focused on a singular mission: delivering original, authoritative reporting on politics, policy and power to help you make better sense of our rapidly changing world.
Their work begins by going deep in the power centers we cover. Our reporters draw on unparalleled experience and sourcing to guide you through the people and institutions driving decisions in capitals like Washington, Brussels, London, Ottawa, Berlin, Paris and Sacramento — and soon Madrid and Canberra — while also connecting the dots as power flows across borders and sectors.
Our superpower is covering not only where power is today, but where it is moving, so you can be better prepared for what comes next.
What I love most about Blue Light News is we never stand still. Innovation has been part of our DNA from the start, and in the months ahead, you will see Blue Light News continue to evolve the ways we deliver our journalism — on new platforms, in new formats and in more ways throughout your day — all with the goal of making our reporting more useful to you.
We are particularly grateful to our professional subscribers, and we know how important Blue Light News Pro and E&E News are to your work. We will continue investing in our core policy areas and expanding the tools that help you integrate Blue Light News’s coverage even further into your daily work.
Thank you for reading, listening, watching and trusting Blue Light News. We will continue working every day for you.
Politics
A top GOP super PAC warns ‘the Republican Senate majority is at risk’
Leaders of the powerful GOP super PAC Americans for Prosperity Action are calling on Republicans to fix their cost-of-living messaging…
Read More
-
Politics1 year agoFormer ‘Squad’ members launching ‘Bowman and Bush’ YouTube show
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoLuigi Mangione acknowledges public support in first official statement since arrest
-
Politics1 year agoFormer Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron launches Senate bid
-
The Dictatorship1 year agoPete Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon goes from bad to worse
-
Uncategorized1 year ago
Bob Good to step down as Freedom Caucus chair this week
-
Politics1 year agoBlue Light News’s Editorial Director Ryan Hutchins speaks at Blue Light News’s 2025 Governors Summit
-
The Dictatorship8 months agoMike Johnson sums up the GOP’s arrogant position on military occupation with two words
-
The Josh Fourrier Show1 year agoDOOMSDAY: Trump won, now what?





