The House committee has issued a subpoena to ActBlue, the online fundraising platform used by Democrats, amid allegations that foreign donors may have exploited security vulnerabilities.

Rep Bryan Steil states that foreign influence in elections through campaign financing is not allowed.

The House committee has issued a subpoena to ActBlue, the online fundraising platform used by Democrats, amid allegations that foreign donors may have exploited security vulnerabilities.
The House committee has issued a subpoena to ActBlue, the online fundraising platform used by Democrats, amid allegations that foreign donors may have exploited security vulnerabilities.

This week, the Republican Party in the House issued a subpoena to ActBlue, a fundraising platform used by Democrats, in an attempt to gather more details about certain suspicious transactions and the platform's donor vetting process.

Regina Wallace-Jones, CEO of ActBlue, was requested by House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., to disclose more details about their verification process and policies for donors before the general election on November 6.

He stated that the subpoena aims to "protect our country's elections" and "tighten the rules on campaign finance donations," particularly from donors whose identities were not thoroughly scrutinized.

ActBlue has received a request from Republicans, who have raised concerns about the platform's security policies and processes for verifying donors, just before the presidential election. In response, ActBlue has made some policy changes.

Kamala Harris at campaign event in New Hampshire
Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to speak at a campaign event in North Hampton, New Hampshire. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty)

The platform did not require online donors to submit their credit card verification value (CVV) when donating online, which led to criticism from House Republicans, including Steil, who pointed out that the lack of verification could enable "potentially fraudulent and illicit financial activity" by foreign donors.

"We must prevent foreign actors from manipulating our elections through campaign financing. The committee's investigation revealed that foreign actors may be exploiting ActBlue's weak security measures," Steil stated in his letter.

There is no evidence or records of such activity occurring, and ActBlue started requiring CVV numbers in August.

The Treasury Department is currently reviewing hundreds of records of transactions made on the app that were flagged by banks as potentially suspicious, following a New York Post report this week.

This week, House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., stated that his office is collaborating closely with Treasury to obtain the materials promptly.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., seated at congressional hearing
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, argues a point at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The House Administration Committee, including Steil, is working to gather more information about donations received by ActBlue in previous months.

On Wednesday, Steil wrote to the platform requesting details about its donor verification procedures and potential weaknesses.

In September, he presented legislation aimed at tightening the vetting procedures for political committees and donor platforms like ActBlue.

springsteen_casey_philadelphia
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., right, greets Bruce Springsteen at a campaign rally in support of Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The legislation would also forbid the use of prepaid gift cards as contributions and adopt a bipartisan FEC recommendation to prevent individuals from knowingly assisting someone who makes a contribution on behalf of another person.

The committee passed the legislation by voice vote, but it has not yet been presented to the floor for a complete vote.

Stay up-to-date with the latest news and exclusive interviews from the 2024 campaign trail at our Planet Chronicle Digital election hub.

by Breanne Deppisch

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