Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., has raised concerns about the fundraising practices of ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform that has collected millions of dollars in donations for Vice President Harris' presidential campaign and its affiliated entities. In a letter to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Tenney, who co-chairs the House Election Integrity Caucus, highlighted allegations of fraudulent and potentially illegal behavior on the part of ActBlue.
Tenney's letter to FEC Chair Sean Cooksey and Vice Chair Ellen Weintraub referenced public reports of anomalous transaction activity involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. The letter pointed out that numerous individuals allegedly made thousands of donations to ActBlue annually without their knowledge, raising questions about the platform's donation practices.
One key issue highlighted in the letter was ActBlue's lack of requirement for a card verification value (CVV) number to complete a transaction, unlike most e-commerce platforms. Tenney emphasized that using CVV numbers is a crucial antifraud measure to prevent unlawful transactions that violate election laws.
Tenney expressed concerns that ActBlue's donation practices could be exploited for fraudulent activities, potentially allowing foreign interference in the electoral system. She urged the FEC to investigate the anomalous transaction activity related to donations to ActBlue and to assess the organization's verification processes.
Additionally, the letter questioned ActBlue's compliance with federal rules regarding online donations and whether the FEC would consider implementing emergency rulemaking to enhance verification safeguards for online donors.
Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., also called for immediate action from the FEC to require political campaigns to verify donors' CVV numbers and to prohibit online contributions from certain sources. These requests came in response to accusations that ActBlue may be circumventing campaign donation laws, potentially enabling fraudulent activities on the platform.
While ActBlue has been instrumental in raising significant funds for Vice President Harris' campaign, concerns about its donation practices have prompted calls for increased scrutiny and regulatory action to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
