The recent bombshell about ActBlue, the go-to fundraising platform for Democrats, has me reeling. It’s been uncovered that they didn’t block foreign gift cards until September 2024. Think about that – foreign money potentially infiltrating our political system until just a few months ago. This has launched a full-scale investigation by the House Administration Committee, with Chairman Bryan Steil and Speaker Mike Johnson at the helm.
What really gets my blood boiling is the timing. ActBlue only updated their policy to reject foreign and domestic gift card donations on September 9, 2024, just three days after the SHIELD Act was introduced. This bill, aimed at keeping foreign cash out of our online political donations, seems to have nudged ActBlue into action. But was it too little, too late?
Here’s the kicker: before this policy shift, ActBlue was accepting donations via foreign gift cards, which means money from countries like China, Russia, Iran, and Venezuela might have been flowing into Democratic campaigns. It’s like opening the floodgates to potential election meddling, undermining the very foundation of our democracy.
Digging deeper, documents handed over to the House Administration Committee show ActBlue was still accepting these risky donations as late as July 2024, during a time when Democrats saw unprecedented fundraising success. This raises the alarm – how much of that money was from foreign sources?
This isn’t just a modern-day issue; it echoes the concerns we had back in 2016 about foreign influence in our elections. We’ve been trying to tighten up our electoral security ever since, but this ActBlue revelation suggests we’ve got miles to go.
If it turns out ActBlue was wittingly or unwittingly part of this foreign funding debacle, the fallout could be massive. We’re talking about new laws, more oversight, and perhaps a complete overhaul of how political fundraising is conducted online. The SHIELD Act, demanding verification for donations and banning contributions via gift cards, is a direct response to this mess, aiming to restore some integrity to the process.
In the end, this investigation into ActBlue’s practices is more than just about one platform. It’s about safeguarding our elections from foreign interference. We need our political donations to be as clear as day, not shrouded in the murkiness of foreign influence. The House Administration Committee has its work cut out, but it’s essential work for the sake of democracy.
BREAKING: ActBlue was accepting foreign gift cards until September.
This is ILLEGAL.
The @HouseAdmin Committee will continue this important investigation into ActBlue next Congress.
Our work here is just getting started. https://t.co/ffDc5I7j4H
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 11, 2024
Sources:
https://www.aol.com/news/actblues-anti-fraud-measures-pass-201100215.html
https://republicans-cha.house.gov/2024/12/chairman-steil-releases-findings-from-subpoena-of-actblue
https://www.aol.com/news/actblues-anti-fraud-measures-pass-201100215.html