House Administration Committee Chairman Brian Steil has announced plans to refer findings from his ongoing investigation into the progressive fundraising platform ActBlue to the incoming Trump Justice Department. The probe centers on allegations that ActBlue failed to implement adequate security measures to prevent illegal foreign contributions to U.S. political campaigns.
Steil expressed optimism that newly nominated Attorney General Pam Bondi, once confirmed, will take up the investigation. “Once Pam Bondi comes in as attorney general under the Trump administration, we then have a partner at the United States Department of Justice to look at this, to do the investigation into bad actors, and to hold anyone who is engaged in this activity accountable,” Steil said during an interview on the Just the News, No Noise TV show on Thursday.
Steil emphasized the importance of collaboration between Congress and the Justice Department, stating, “The good news is President [Donald] Trump’s coming to office in just a few short weeks. We’re going to have an opportunity to move forward on the prosecutorial side, and then we in Congress have to continue this work, moving legislation forward.”
The House Administration Committee has been investigating claims that ActBlue’s platform allowed illegal foreign donations to flow into U.S. political campaigns. Foreign contributions are prohibited under federal election law, and concerns have arisen over potential exploitation of the platform’s security vulnerabilities by foreign entities.
In October, Steil and Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson, a fellow Republican, raised alarms in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines. The lawmakers alleged that adversarial nations, including Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China, may have used ActBlue to launder illicit funds into U.S. campaigns.
“We write to you to raise an urgent concern regarding potential illicit election funding by foreign actors,” the letter stated. “CHA has been investigating claims that foreign actors, primarily from Iran, Russia, Venezuela, and China, may be using ActBlue to launder illicit money into U.S. political campaigns.”
The lawmakers also flagged the possibility that foreign actors could exploit existing U.S. donors by making straw donations without their knowledge. This technique involves disguising illicit funds as contributions from legitimate donors, creating a significant challenge for regulatory authorities.
To support their investigation, Steil and Johnson demanded access to Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) related to transactions on ActBlue’s platform. These reports are generated by financial institutions as part of anti-money-laundering protocols when they detect potentially illicit activities.
ActBlue recently acknowledged its efforts to address concerns raised by lawmakers, informing Congress of updates to its donor verification policies. These updates include automatic rejection of donations that:
- Originate from foreign prepaid or gift cards.
- Use domestic gift cards.
- Come from high-risk or sanctioned countries.
- Are flagged as the highest risk by its security solution provider, Sift.
The platform’s changes aim to strengthen safeguards against illegal contributions, but GOP lawmakers argue that these measures may not go far enough to address broader systemic vulnerabilities.
The ActBlue investigation has become a flashpoint in the broader political battle over election integrity and campaign financing. For Republicans, the case against ActBlue underscores concerns about the potential for foreign interference in U.S. elections, a topic that has gained heightened scrutiny in recent years. Critics, however, see the probe as politically motivated, targeting a key fundraising tool for Democratic candidates.
The transition to a Trump-led Justice Department is likely to intensify the political stakes. With Pam Bondi poised to assume the role of Attorney General, Republican lawmakers are banking on a more aggressive approach to investigating and prosecuting potential violations linked to ActBlue.
Steil’s announcement signals a renewed push for accountability in campaign finance, as Congress and the incoming administration aim to close loopholes that could be exploited by foreign actors. However, the path forward is fraught with challenges, including partisan divisions and potential legal hurdles.
“We need to ensure that our elections are safeguarded from foreign interference,” Steil said, emphasizing the importance of robust security measures across all fundraising platforms. “This isn’t just about one platform; it’s about protecting the integrity of our democracy.”
As the probe continues, ActBlue’s practices and the broader issue of campaign finance security will remain in the spotlight. Whether the Trump Justice Department’s involvement leads to significant legal actions or policy changes remains to be seen. For now, the investigation represents a key test of bipartisan commitment to addressing vulnerabilities in the electoral process.
