ActBlue, one of the largest political action committees (PACs) in the United States that provides online fundraising infrastructure to Democratic and progressive political candidates, has found itself under scrutiny and investigation for questionable donation practices that seem to benefit corrupt Democratic politicians.
In an in-depth analysis published last week by The Federalist, it was revealed that ActBlue allows donors to make recurring untraceable donations by claiming they are unemployed. This has raised major red flags, as it appears to be a convenient way for the PAC to funnel anonymous cash to Democrat politicians who have shady track records of their own.
Some of the eyebrow-raising examples highlighted in the piece include:
- Over $100,000 in untraceable donations to the re-election campaign of Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who has been embroiled in an FBI investigation into his ties to a Chinese spy and had a former staffer charged with illegal straw donations. Despite this, Swalwell received over 4,500 donations from ActBlue claiming they were unemployed, totaling $112,123.
- Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) saw $67,000 in untraceable donations via ActBlue from donors marking themselves “unemployed.” Lieu is currently under an FEC complaint for allegedly misusing campaign funds for personal expenses like legal fees, sporting events, and a luxury car loan.
- Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was found to have accepted over $130,000 in unnamed donations via the platform. Boebert has faced scrutiny for her ties to militia groups and allowing violent political rhetoric to spread in her constituents.
“ActBlue doesn’t even pretend to verify the occupations of donors,” The Federalist article charges. “It accepts the word of the donor, which is the same as not verifying at all…ActBlue will not report it to the FEC, and the candidate will not report it to the FEC. It’s a perfect way to launder donations.”
The PAC’s lack of transparency has drawn ire from both Republican and Democrat quarters. “This is an open and shut case of illegal political money laundering,” said Craig Conrad, a former FEC commissioner and current president of the conservative watchdog organization Americans for Public Trust. “ActBlue is a criminal conspiracy.”
The group has yet to issue a public statement or explanation for these findings, which raises further questions about the integrity of the donation platform.
In a time when money in politics remains one of the top issues for voters, ActBlue’s apparent lack of oversight in accepting untraceable donations to ethically-challenged Democrat politicians is deeply concerning. It seems to paint a wider picture of corruption and a lack of transparency amongst the Left in the political arena.
As the story continues to unfold, the American public has a right to know more about the sketchy financial deals being made behind closed doors. It’s time for the FEC and other appropriate authorities to dig deeper and provide answers about ActBlue’s role in enabling shady political dealings. The integrity of our election system depends on it.
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