Politico is reporting President Donald Trump is set to sign a presidential memorandum Thursday directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate online fundraising platforms, with a particular focus on ActBlue, over concerns about potential foreign contributions to U.S. elections.
The memorandum instructs Bondi to examine allegations that such platforms may be used for “straw” or “dummy” contributions and to report findings to the president and his general counsel.
In Wisconsin, ActBlue has been instrumental in fundraising efforts, notably for Dane County Judge Susan Crawford’s recent Supreme Court campaign. Crawford’s campaign raised over $26 million, with more than 75% of the 126,000-plus individual donors residing outside Wisconsin, primarily through ActBlue.
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.), chair of the House Committee on Administration, has previously expressed concerns about ActBlue’s donor verification processes. In October, he requested information on how the platform verifies donors, suggesting vulnerabilities to foreign donations. See our coverage, below.
ActBlue has stated that it complies with all federal and state laws, implementing measures to reject high-risk and foreign-funded transactions. The organization views the administration’s actions as a politically motivated attack on grassroots democratic participation.
We’ll have more on this story later tonight.
