Progressive candidates keep using ActBlue amid probe over foreign donation safeguards
Leading Democrats such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders are still fundraising through ActBlue despite a congressional investigation into the platform’s fraud-prevention practices.
Prominent progressive figures, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, continue to accept contributions via ActBlue even as House committees examine the platform’s fraud-prevention mechanisms. Founded in 2004, ActBlue reports having processed more than $19 billion for Democratic candidates, committees and progressive groups, positioning itself as a grassroots counter to dark-money influences.
The issue gained public attention after an 88-year-old Michigan resident, Elizabeth Waffle, contested nearly $150,000 in contributions attributed to her in federal records, though she confirmed using ActBlue for donations. An interim staff report from April 2025 noted that ActBlue detected 237 contributions from foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards in a 30-day span, which lawmakers cited as a fraud indicator.
ActBlue maintains that its safeguards meet legal standards and has not been found to have broken campaign finance laws. The platform still lists El-Sayed’s campaign among its “Trending Campaigns,” alongside other notable Democrats, while the Republican National Committee calls for explanations of the continued reliance on ActBlue.
Why it matters
The story highlights ongoing concerns about the integrity of online political fundraising and its potential exposure to foreign interference.
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