When it comes to political fundraising, there are really only two players: For the Republicans, it’s WinRed; for the Democrats, it’s ActBlue. WinRed was the right’s answer to ActBlue, which set the standard when it came to utilizing digital tools to maximize fundraising. All Democrats use ActBlue, and it has processed billions of dollars in donations for leftist candidates and PACs.
As it turns out, ActBlue might not be so deserving of any accolades, as its possibly shady operating practices have caught the attention of some GOP lawmakers. RedState’s Brandon Morse reported back in August that whistleblowers had come forward with claims that ActBlue was “skirting campaign donation laws,” prompting the Committee on House Administration, headed by Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), to take action:
In a letter sent to top officials on the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Monday, Steil urged them to “immediately initiate an emergency rulemaking to require political campaigns to verify the card verification value (‘CVV’) of donors who contribute online using a credit or debit card, and to prohibit political campaigns from accepting online contributions from a gift card or other prepaid credit cards.”
Now, 19 state attorneys general are launching their own probe, alleging that ActBlue is engaging in a money-laundering practice known as “smurfing”:
Proud to partner with 19 attorneys general in investigating whether ActBlue is facilitating “smurfing”––a type of money laundering in which donors break up large donations and submit them under different names.
Secure elections are vital to our republic.
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) October 1, 2024
[…]
— Read More: redstate.com
