President Trump is expected to sign a memo Thursday targeting ActBlue, a major Democratic Party donor platform, as part of an effort to investigate potential illegal campaign donations.
The memo directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate allegations of straw donations and contributions made from foreigners, according to a White House official. Donations from foreign nationals are prohibited by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
The memo specifically cites ActBlue, which serves as the primary fundraising platform for Democratic candidates. It alleges hundreds of donations were made to the platform over a 30-day period during the 2024 campaign from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards.
In a statement, ActBlue said it “strictly abides by all federal and state laws governing its activities.”
“We will always stand steadfast in defending the rights of all Americans to participate in our democracy and ActBlue will continue its mission undeterred and uninterrupted, providing a safe, secure fundraising platform for the millions of grassroots donors who rely on us,” ActBlue said.
Politico first reported on Trump’s plans.
Republicans have long targeted ActBlue, which was founded in 2004.
Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) last October subpoenaed ActBlue, raising concerns that foreign actors were exploiting the platform.
“Something stinks about ActBlue,” Elon Musk, a billionaire adviser to the president, posted on his social platform X last month.
The move against ActBlue raised alarm among critics who viewed it as a way for Trump to use the power of the government against his political opponents.
Some Democrats had issued statements earlier in the week sounding the alarm that the White House might target nonprofit groups. White House officials said there was no such order in the works.
Trump earlier this month signed memos directing the Justice Department to investigate two critics: Miles Taylor, who wrote an anonymous op-ed in 2018 criticizing the administration while he worked for the Department of Homeland Security; and Chris Krebs, who served as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and pushed back on Trump’s claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
