House Republican Warns ActBlue May Face Criminal Charges
A prominent Republican from the House, Bryan Steil, who chairs the Committee on House Administration, has raised concerns that ActBlue, a major fundraising platform for Democrats, could potentially encounter criminal charges. Steil expressed during an interview that the ongoing congressional investigation into ActBlue will proceed, and he believes the Department of Justice (DOJ) may take action if it finds sufficient evidence of a crime.
“ActBlue didn’t have the necessary fraud prevention measures to stop foreign money from filtering into Democratic campaigns,” Steil mentioned. He emphasized the need to carry on with the inquiry.
He added, “Then, separately, the DOJ will decide if they believe a crime was committed. If they find a way to prove it in court, I think it’s likely they would pursue the case.”
The House Oversight Committee and the Judiciary Committee have also been examining allegations that ActBlue’s insufficient verification processes have allowed foreign funds to enter U.S. elections. ActBlue has rejected these allegations, calling the investigation a partisan ploy.
Despite the scrutiny, ActBlue has begun enhancing its verification standards, recently introducing a passport verification system as part of its response to the ongoing investigation.
Steil stated, “This investigation aims to inform the public and help us revise campaign finance laws for the digital age. Many of those laws were crafted long ago, and it’s crucial we update them to reflect today’s reality.”
The inquiry into ActBlue began in April 2025 after then-President Trump told his Attorney General Pam Bondi to initiate an investigation, though the current status of that inquiry remains unclear. Fox News Digital has sought an update from the DOJ regarding Steil’s comments.
ActBlue has been a primary fundraising tool for many Democrats, including key figures in Congress, although they suspended donations from Americans living abroad in 2025.
The organization has consistently maintained its innocence in communications with the press and House investigators. Notably, several top ActBlue officials, including executives and founders, have invoked their Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering questions in various hearings.
A recent report indicated that some employees at ActBlue had approved donations even amidst doubts about their origins. Particularly, there are concerns regarding the verification of passport numbers, with findings suggesting that the system only required the correct number of characters rather than a valid code to accept a donation.
In a letter from ActBlue’s legal team, they asserted that their new verification program implements passport-based identity confirmation to strengthen their fraud prevention measures.
Steil remarked on this update, stating it, “only confirms what we’ve been asserting: ActBlue didn’t adequately verify the citizenship of donors contributing from outside the U.S.”
Fox News Digital has made inquiries to ActBlue about the recent remarks made by Steil.
