A top House Republican accused Democratic fundraising powerhouse ActBlue of operating as a “money laundering operation,” saying that millions of dollars in foreign contributions had flowed through the platform.
Speaking on the “Fox News Rundown” podcast, Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, said ongoing congressional investigations into the group have uncovered fraud-prevention failures and noted that several people affiliated with ActBlue have invoked the Fifth Amendment while being questioned by lawmakers.
“Well, [it’s clear] ActBlue had become a money laundering operation for the Democratic Party. And that’s very unfortunate,” Fallon told Fox News’ Jessica Rosenthal. “Their compliance and fraud prevention was severely lacking, and they actually were training their employees to do almost no verifications,” he added.
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Fallon pointed specifically to the platform’s past policy of not requiring card verification value, or CVV, codes for some credit card donations, calling it a “huge red flag.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, ActBlue spokesperson De’Andra Roberts LaBoo pushed back against the GOP allegations, saying the investigation is part of a broader political attack.
“President Trump and his allies are engaged in a coordinated campaign of political retaliation and retribution against organizations that they believe threaten them — from universities and law firms to civil rights groups and philanthropies. Now, they’re working to target Democratic fundraising ahead of the midterms,” Roberts LaBoo said.
“ActBlue will not be intimidated, and we refuse to slow down. No other platform does more to protect the integrity of small-dollar democracy — regardless of party. Our platform has raised a record amount of midterm-cycle contributions. With more than a million new donors, Americans are stepping up and fighting back, giving an average contribution of just $36 to the candidates and causes they believe in,” she added.
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The Committee on House Administration, House Judiciary Committee and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform are jointly investigating ActBlue’s fraud-prevention practices and allegations involving illegal foreign donations.
According to sources familiar with the matter, ActBlue co-founder Matt DeBergalis invoked the Fifth Amendment during a closed-door House deposition. ActBlue board member Kimberly Peeler-Allen also invoked the Fifth Amendment during a separate deposition.
“If they were on the up and up, then why is everyone that used to work for ActBlue taking the Fifth Amendment?” Fallon asked. “Also, why did their entire compliance team leave ActBlue after the 2024 election? I’m talking everybody. Because some shady things were going on, and they got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and now they’re running for the hills.”
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In an April report, the three House committees said ActBlue’s entire legal and compliance team had left the platform after the 2024 election.
“Documents produced pursuant to the Committees’ subpoenas show the collapse of ActBlue’s legal and compliance team in the months after the 2024 election. By March 2025, every member of ActBlue’s legal and compliance team resigned, was fired, or went on extended leave from the platform,” the committees wrote in April.
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ActBlue later responded to the congressional committees, disputing their findings and denying wrongdoing.
“For three years, ActBlue has been targeted by MAGA Republicans because of who we are and what we stand for, not because of any unlawful conduct. They want to undermine one of democracy’s most powerful tools because they are desperate to hold onto power,” the platform said.
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ActBlue said it has worked in “good faith” with the investigations and produced thousands of pages of materials, while accusing lawmakers of engaging in “political theater.”
ActBlue said it leads the industry in preventing illegal contributions. The group said its fraud-detection system evaluates more than 140 factors and blocks contributions associated with foreign IP addresses, bank accounts and non-U.S. mailing addresses.
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But Fallon told the “Fox News Rundown” that he believes ActBlue accepted millions of dollars in foreign contributions.
“It’s into the millions. It’s hard to say right now. It is vast. And it’s definitely game-changing. You can see it reflected in their fundraising numbers now. They’re far down from where they were in previous election cycles,” Fallon said, adding that he would welcome an investigation by the FBI or other federal agencies.
Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Kelly Phares contributed to this report.
