In a recent interview on the Fox News Rundown” podcast, Rep. Pat Fallon, R‑Texas, raised serious concerns about the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue. Fallon said congressional investigations have uncovered what he described as a “money laundering operation” that allowed millions of dollars in foreign contributions to flow through the site.
Congressional investigations and Fifth Amendment pleas
Fallon pointed to testimony from ActBlue co‑founder Matt DeBergalis and board member Kimberly Peeler‑Allen, both of whom invoked the Fifth Amendment during closed‑door depositions before the Committee on House Administration, the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Oversight Committee. “If they were on the up and up, why is everyone who used to work for ActBlue taking the Fifth Amendment?” Fallon asked.
Compliance failures and staff departures
The Republican lawmaker highlighted a 2024‑2025 period in which ActBlue’s entire legal and compliance team left the organization. According to committee reports, by March 2025 every member of that team had resigned, been fired, or taken extended leave. Fallon called the lack of card‑verification (CVV) requirements a “huge red flag” and suggested the platform’s fraud‑prevention systems were severely lacking.
ActBlue’s response
ActBlue spokesperson De’Andra Roberts LaBoo pushed back, characterizing the investigations as a partisan attack. She said, “President Trump and his allies are engaged in a coordinated campaign of political retaliation against organizations they believe threaten them.” Roberts LaBoo also defended the platform’s record, noting that ActBlue has raised a record amount of midterm‑cycle contributions and that its fraud‑detection system evaluates more than 140 factors, blocking contributions linked to foreign IP addresses, bank accounts, and non‑U.S. mailing addresses.
Calls for further investigation
Fallon said he would welcome an investigation by the FBI or other federal agencies, arguing that the alleged foreign money could be “game‑changing” for future elections. He also warned that the platform’s fundraising numbers have declined sharply since the 2024 election cycle, which he attributes to the alleged misconduct.
Political context
The controversy comes as the Trump administration continues to push for stricter election‑law enforcement and greater transparency in political fundraising. While the administration has not yet announced specific legislation targeting ActBlue, several GOP‑backed bills aimed at tightening donation rules have been introduced in the House.
ActBlue maintains that it has cooperated in good faith with the congressional inquiries, providing thousands of pages of documents. The platform also asserts that it leads the industry in preventing illegal contributions, a claim that will likely be tested in upcoming hearings.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
