House Republicans issue subpoenas to three ActBlue attorneys in investigation of foreign donor fraud

House Republicans Subpoena ActBlue Lawyers Amid Donation Investigation

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, House Republicans issued a subpoena to leading lawyers from the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue as part of an investigation into ongoing donations from both domestic and foreign sources in the recent election cycle, according to a letter reviewed by the Post.

Former ActBlue advisor Darrin Hurwitz and former director Aaron Ting are now required to testify before House investigators.

Additionally, another unnamed ActBlue lawyer has been called by House leadership from the administration, Judiciary, and Oversight Committees.

Documents shared by the committee indicate that Hurwitz, Ting, and the unnamed lawyer collaborated with the platform’s fraud prevention team during an election cycle when standards were reportedly relaxed.

ActBlue has been known to process debit and credit transactions without the need for card verification values (CVV) during the election, and recent guidelines from last year instructed employees to “find reasons to accept contributions.”

In both April and September of 2024, ActBlue loosened these guidelines further, which allowed some fraudulent donations to go through. Reports suggest that up to 6.4% of contributions that should have faced rejection due to fraud were, in fact, accepted.

“Documents from within ActBlue reveal that top fraud prevention staff believe there are multiple ways for malicious actors to bypass the fraud prevention measures, allowing illegal donations,” the letter noted.

The three former ActBlue employees had previously been invited for transcribed interviews, although they withdrew from that process around the same time.

This legal inquiry appears to be partly motivated by President Trump’s decision to allow a judicial investigation into suspected “dummy” accounts or foreign contributions made through ActBlue.

Danny Onorato, an attorney representing current ActBlue employees, told House committee staff in April that he would recommend his clients refrain from participating in the investigation until more information becomes available.

Attorney General Pam Bondy is expected to present a report to the president regarding questionable donations that cast doubt on the integrity of the election process, due 180 days after a request for an investigation was made in a White House memo on April 24.

Regarding the investigation, Trustees Chairman Brian Steele (R-Wis.), Attorney General Jim Jordan (R-OHIO), and Director Chairman James Kommer (R-KY.) stated, “The committee’s investigation serves a clear and significant legal purpose.”

“Congress has a vested interest in ensuring that neither domestic nor foreign actors are allowed to make fraudulent political contributions through online funding platforms. Past surveillance indicates that existing laws may not adequately prevent such illegal transactions,” they continued.

Former ActBlue employees are expected to testify on October 15, 21, and 28.

An ActBlue spokesperson previously remarked that the platform has faced significant concerns from various political entities and investigations, suggesting that it primarily targets the president’s political opposition.