ActBlue accused of lax verification of donors

 The Federalist Wire:

...

In a bold move, Representative Andy Biggs from Arizona has fired off a letter to the FBI, pressing for a deep dive into ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s go-to fundraising platform. Biggs is sounding the alarm, alleging that ActBlue might be a weak link in the chain of federal campaign finance laws, potentially compromising the fairness of American elections.

In his Thursday missive to FBI Director Kash Patel, Biggs highlighted a troubling discovery: “In 2024, President Biden’s Treasury Department found hundreds of suspicious transactions with ActBlue reported by banks.” This revelation fuels his call for action, spotlighting what he sees as a pressing threat.

The issue isn’t new to Capitol Hill. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, alongside the Committee on House Administration, have been digging into these claims for some time. However, Biggs notes that their efforts hit a wall under the previous administration, which he says dragged its feet on handing over key documents. This week, Oversight Chairman James Comer and Administration Chairman Bryan Steil turned up the heat, renewing their push for answers with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Biggs’ letter zeroes in on a specific worry shared by many Republicans: ActBlue’s lax verification processes might be an open door for foreign players—think China, Venezuela, or Russia—to meddle in U.S. elections through so-called straw donations.

Adding weight to his case, he points out that nineteen state attorneys general have raised their own red flags about ActBlue, citing everything from fraud and money laundering to shady credit card use and odd donation patterns.

“It must be emphasized that these allegations, were they to prove true, would indicate a serious threat to the integrity of our elections, besides the victimization of American citizens,” Briggs said in his letter to Patel. He’s not mincing words, urging the FBI to launch a full-scale investigation into ActBlue’s operations.

Fox News Digital reached out to ActBlue for a statement but came up empty-handed. Meanwhile, Biggs didn’t hold back in his comments to the outlet: “The allegations against ActBlue are alarming and, if true, threaten the integrity of our Republic. I’m thankful for the work Director Patel is doing to restore our justice system, and I look forward to working with him to uncover the truth about ActBlue.”

This isn’t a solo crusade. For months, GOP members of the House Administration Committee and other Republican figures have been hammering ActBlue over what they call flimsy donor vetting.
...

This is happening at a time when the Democrats are experiencing their lowest level of voter support in decades.   That lower level of support may have made the Democrats more desperate to raise funding.  It looks like the Biden administration had no interest in looking into the matter.  It was the banks that were the whistle-blowers on the alleged problem.  The FBI or other agencies should have a robust investigation of the issue.  I have confidence that Kash Patel will do what is right.

See also:

Congressman Biggs Urges FBI to Probe ActBlue Over Election Integrity Concerns