House Panel Expands ActBlue Investigation

Rep. Bryan Steil has expanded his investigation into ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform, over allegations of inadequate donor verification that may facilitate illegal contributions. He has called on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to implement emergency rules requiring verification of card details for online donations and prohibiting the acceptance of contributions from gift cards. Accusations against ActBlue include potentially allowing foreign donations and using prepaid cards to launder funds, raising concerns about election integrity. Steil emphasized that these practices could enable straw donors to bypass campaign finance laws. ActBlue has responded by labeling the investigation as a partisan attack, defending its practices as legitimate. The ongoing scrutiny comes as the U.S. approaches a presidential election, highlighting the importance of transparency in campaign financing.