On Thursday, President Trump is anticipated to sign a memorandum focusing on ActBlue, the primary fundraising platform for Democratic donors, as part of his investigation into potentially illicit campaign contributions.
The memorandum instructs Attorney General Pam Bondy to look into accusations of straw donations and contributions from foreign sources, as confirmed by White House officials. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) prohibits donations from foreign nationals.
The memorandum specifically mentions ActBlue, which acts as a significant fundraising tool for Democratic candidates. They assert that numerous donations have been made to the platform over a 30-day period during the 2024 campaign from foreign IP addresses utilizing prepaid cards.
In a response, ActBlue stated it “is fully compliant with all federal and state laws governing its operations.”
“We are always prepared to defend the right of every American to engage in democracy, and ActBlue will persist in its mission, continuing to provide a safe and secure funding platform for the millions of grassroots donors depending on us,” ActBlue declared.
Politics first reported on Trump’s initiative.
ActBlue has faced ongoing scrutiny from Republicans since its establishment in 2004.
Last October, Rep. Brian Steele (R-Wis.) summoned ActBlue, expressing concerns that foreign entities were misusing the platform.
Elon Musk, the billionaire adviser to the president, expressed his views on his social media platform X last month.
The action against ActBlue has sparked concerns among critics, who view it as an attempt by Trump to use governmental authority against his political rivals.
Some Democrats had previously warned that the White House might target nonprofit organizations. However, White House officials clarified that no such directive was in preparation.
Earlier this month, Trump issued a memorandum directing the Justice Department to investigate two critics. Miles Taylor authored an anonymous piece in 2018 that criticized the administration while he was in the Department of Homeland Security. Criskrebs, who previously led the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, refuted Trump’s allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
