Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton revealed the findings from an investigation into ActBlue, a nonprofit fundraising platform and political action committee established in 2004 to support Democratic campaigns.
The investigation by Paxton’s office reveals a number of suspicious donations linked to obscured identities and untraceable payment methods, according to a recent press release. These findings have prompted Paxton to petition the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for immediate regulatory action to address any potential loopholes that could jeopardize the election’s integrity.
“Our investigation into ActBlue has uncovered facts indicating that bad actors can illegally interfere in American elections by disguising political donations,” Paxton said in the press release.
The investigation into ActBlue, which began in December 2023, aimed to assess whether the popular platform for Democratic fundraising was operating within the bounds of state and federal laws. As part of the inquiry, Paxton’s office identified what they describe as a systematic use of “straw donations,” where individuals make contributions using false names and identities.
In August 2024, in response to the ongoing investigation, ActBlue announced that it would require donors using credit cards to provide CVV codes, a move that Paxton’s office acknowledged as a step toward increased security, but insists is still insufficient to tackle the bigger problems going on behind the scenes at ActBlue.
On Monday, Paxton sent a petition to the FEC urging the commission to implement stricter regulations to close fundraising loopholes that could allow for the illegal funneling of money into certain political campaigns. In the petition, Paxton acknowledged that “the problem does not appear to be purely partisan — WinRed [a fundraising platform for the Republican party] has been accused of very similar issues.”
ActBlue has previously opposed similar regulatory measures, but Paxton argues that its position is no longer reasonable given the findings of the investigation.
“It is imperative that the FEC close off the avenues we have identified by which foreign contributions or contributions in excess of legal limits could be unlawfully funneled to political campaigns, bypassing campaign finance regulations and compromising our electoral system,” Paxton added.
The Attorney General’s recent investigation into ActBlue has reignited a continued debate over voter integrity in the upcoming elections.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Governor Greg Abbott announced in August that Texas had eliminated more than one million “ineligible” voters from its registration lists since 2021.
Additionally, Texas officials have been investigating the voting machines in Dallas County this week to ensure they function properly and meet certification standards.
The investigation comes in response to concerns raised by the Dallas County Republican Party, which recently issued a statement claiming it observed issues with the machines during recent testing.