House GOP wants FEC to investigate ActBlue fundraising for Democrats.
Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., recently demanded an investigation by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) into alleged fraudulent and deceptive behavior by ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform that has collected substantial donations for Vice President Harris’ presidential campaign and related entities.
Tenney, co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, highlighted in her letter to FEC Chair Sean Cooksey and Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub concerning reports of suspicious transaction activities involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. She pointed out that many individuals allegedly made numerous donations to ActBlue annually without their knowledge, using their names and addresses to donate thousands of dollars.
The congresswoman emphasized that ActBlue’s donation process lacks a card verification value (CVV) number, unlike standard e-commerce platforms. She noted that the use of CVV numbers is a crucial antifraud measure in campaign contributions, preventing unlawful transactions that violate election laws at both federal and state levels.
Tenney expressed concern that ActBlue’s omission of CVV numbers could open the door to fraudulent activities, particularly by foreign actors exploiting the donation system’s lack of stringent verification safeguards. While most political campaigns and PACs require CVV numbers for online donations to counter fraudulent efforts, ActBlue deliberately chooses not to implement this security measure.
The congresswoman urged the FEC to investigate the anomalous transaction activities related to donations made to ActBlue and to assess whether the FEC had previously examined such activities or the platform’s lax verification processes. If no prior investigation had taken place, Tenney requested the FEC to commit to examining potential fraudulent donations to ActBlue and its inadequate verification procedures.
Tenney also raised questions about ActBlue’s compliance with federal rules regarding online donations and sought the FEC’s opinion on the Committee on House Administration’s request for emergency rulemaking to mandate campaigns to verify online donors’ CVV numbers. These steps aim to strengthen election integrity and public trust in the electoral process.
The Committee on House Administration, led by Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., also called on the FEC to enforce emergency rulemaking requiring political campaigns to verify donors’ CVV numbers for online contributions. This request was prompted by accusations that ActBlue is skirting campaign donation laws and facilitating fraud on its platform.
Whistleblowers who approached the committee alleged that ActBlue intentionally omitted the use of CVV numbers to make donation verification easier. The whistleblowers also reported receiving numerous donations from retirees on fixed incomes and multiple $2.50 donations from the same individual, raising concerns about the platform’s donation practices.
While ActBlue has raised substantial funds for Vice President Harris’ campaign as she competes against former President Trump, questions about the platform’s donation security and compliance with campaign finance laws continue to linger. The FEC’s investigation into these allegations is crucial in upholding the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.
