House GOP investigators have intensified scrutiny on ActBlue following a report that raises questions about the platform’s fundraising practices. Concerns center around whether ActBlue, a major democratic fundraising platform, accepted foreign donations and misled Congress about it.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated, “Our investigation into ActBlue is ongoing. We expect more documents and testimony soon.” ActBlue is employed by figures such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic leaders to facilitate campaign fundraising.

Republicans have accused ActBlue of having lenient donor verification processes. ActBlue asserted improvements have been made. However, new findings illustrate instances where employees approved donations even with suspicious origins. ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones, during a congressional hearing, chose to invoke the Fifth Amendment, further fueling speculation.

The GOP argues that ActBlue’s passport verification method, which simply checks character count rather than validity against databases, is ineffective. Yet, ActBlue denies wrongdoing and has not indicated plans to return any raised funds.

Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil expressed concern over ActBlue’s fraud prevention methods, emphasizing the need to “get to the bottom” of the situation. The Judiciary Committee has also committed to ongoing oversight, although testimonies have been evasive, with key personnel including co-founder Matt DeBergalis, declining to answer queries.

The report details internal communications showing ActBlue’s approval of donations despite red flags, like foreign IP addresses and mismatched billing details. A particular memo described a donation as a “great accept” despite a Hong Kong IP, while another notes a Canadian origin for a donor with a Missouri address.

Despite criticisms, ActBlue staff view the investigation as politically motivated, dismissing accusations as unfounded. They argue that foreign online donations have not demonstrably impacted U.S. elections. ActBlue maintains that Republicans are using the investigation to undermine their operations politically.

The controversy has prompted the National Republican Congressional Committee to call on Democrats to sever ties with ActBlue, citing the serious nature of the allegations.