Trump targets Democratic fundraising powerhouse ActBlue with DOJ probe

By Fredreka Schouten, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Thursday targeting ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s main fundraising platform – taking aim at one of the key pillars of the financial infrastructure for Democratic candidates.

A fact sheet about the memo said it directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to launch an investigation into online fundraising platforms with the goal of cracking down on illegal “straw donors” – or those who make donations in the name of others – and foreign contributions in US elections.

It specifically cites ActBlue, which has been the subject of GOP congressional investigations and criticism from Trump allies, including billionaire donor Elon Musk.

The memo marks the latest effort by Trump to use his office to single out individuals and organizations he views as acting counter to his interests – ranging from law firms that have represented Democrats to Chris Krebs, a former Trump administration official who rejected the president’s claims that widespread fraud contributed to his 2020 election loss.

“The Trump Administration’s and GOP’s targeting of ActBlue is part of their brazen attack on democracy in America,” the organization said in a statement late Thursday afternoon. “Today’s escalation by the White House is blatantly unlawful and needs to be seen for what it is: Donald Trump’s latest front in his campaign to stamp out all political, electoral and ideological opposition.”

The group said it would “immediately pursue all legal avenues to protect and defend itself against the Administration’s baseless claims.”

In a letter to Democratic supporters on Wednesday obtained by CNN, the platform’s president and CEO Regina Wallace-Jones said the organization had been anticipating a move of this kind from Trump.

“Nothing will deter or interrupt ActBlue’s mission and work to enable millions of Americans to participate in our democracy,” Wallace-Jones wrote. She noted that the platform had raised more than $400 million during the three months of this year – setting a new record for a single fundraising quarter.

Politico first reported Trump’s plans to target ActBlue.

Trump’s action marks the latest assault on the platform from Republicans. Congressional Republicans have been investigating ActBlue, alleging that it does not adequately safeguard against fraud – a charge that ActBlue officials have denied. And earlier this month, three GOP-led House committees issued an interim staff report that argued the nonprofit organization had not done enough to address threats to the platform by foreign and domestic “fraudulent actors.”

The report argued that while ActBlue has updated some of its practices – such as no longer accepting gift cards for donations and requiring donors to add a CVV, the three- or four-digit number found on the back of a credit card, when submitting contributions – that the group’s “general attitude towards fraud prevention is unserious.”

Wisconsin GOP Rep. Bryan Steil – who chairs the House Administration Committee, one of the panels investigating ActBlue – called the memo “a big step in the fight to prevent foreign bad actors from funneling illicit money into our elections.”

Trump’s memo directs Bondi to report the results of the investigation to Trump, through the counsel to the president.

ActBlue is a fundraising powerhouse for Democrats and progressive groups – helping to funnel small-dollar donations to candidates, party committees and others. In all, it has collected more than $16.8 billion since its founding in 2004, according to a running tally on its website.

Although it has competitors, it has long dominated processing payments online for liberal candidates and causes. According to the platform, more than 14 million users have saved their contact and payment information with the group, allowing contributors to easily make one-click donations.

But the ramped-up criticism from Republicans comes as ActBlue has faced some internal tumult – including the departure earlier this year of several high-level staffers, as first reported by The New York Times.

The probe of ActBlue comes as executives in organizations on the left privately voice growing fears that they, too, could become targets of Trump’s retribution. A federal probe of ActBlue has raised concerns it could impair the Democratic Party’s fundraising efforts ahead of next year’s high-stakes midterm elections, given its central role in processing donations.

On Thursday, Democrats sought to use news of Trump’s impending action to raise more campaign dollars.

An email appeal from the fundraising operation tied to former Vice President Kamala Harris, for instance, asked for donations for the Democratic National Committee.

“Donald Trump wants to make it harder for people like you to contribute to Democratic candidates so it’s easier for billionaires like Elon Musk to buy elections,” the email read, before seeking money to “fight back against Republicans trying to disempower small-dollar donors.”

This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.

CNN’s Jeff Zeleny contributed to this report.

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