Wisconsin Republican Representative Bryan Steil called for investigations into the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue in five states, citing concerns over potential illegal activity. Steil, who chairs the House Administration Committee, sent letters on Wednesday to the attorneys general of Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Virginia, urging them to look into alleged unlawful practices by ActBlue.
In his letters, Steil said the Committee’s investigation had uncovered evidence suggesting that ActBlue may have illegally used the identities of unsuspecting individuals to funnel money into political campaigns. “As Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, I am writing to refer for your consideration the findings of an investigation conducted by the Committee’s legal team,” Steil wrote. “This investigation focused on potential unlawful exploitation of unwitting ‘straw donors,’ whose identities may have been used to channel illicit funds into campaigns in your state.”
The Committee’s probe into ActBlue began earlier this year and was expanded in August. According to Steil, the investigation involved analyzing over 200 million records from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that span the last 14 years.
Whistleblowers reportedly raised concerns about discrepancies in donor records, leading the Committee to investigate whether ActBlue was involved in money laundering or accepting unlawful donations. The investigation highlighted donations that appeared suspiciously large relative to the donor’s financial capacity or past giving history, as well as frequent contributions from new or elderly donors.
“The Committee’s investigation included consultations with federal agencies, such as the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), as well as experts in money laundering, credit card fraud, and terrorism finance,” the letters detailed. “Perhaps most important to our investigation are the whistleblowers, who came forward to report anomalies in FEC donor records.”
Steil noted that the analysis identified numerous anomalous donor profiles that raised red flags. “In reviewing this analysis, it became clear there is suspicious activity occurring that warrants further review,” he added.
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares had already opened an investigation into ActBlue the previous month, accusing donors of engaging in fraudulent and deceptive practices in the state.
