Amid concerns over election integrity, two senior ActBlue employees were subpoenaed Wednesday by House Republicans investigating claims that the fundraising platform for Democrats knowingly accepted fraudulent and potentially foreign donations.
According to a copy of a press release provided to Newsmax by the House Judiciary Committee, House Republicans issued subpoenas Wednesday to two senior ActBlue employees regarding claims the online fundraising platform knowingly accepted fraudulent donations, including potentially from foreign sources.
Founded in 2004, ActBlue is a Democratic Party PAC and fundraising platform. By 2025, it has raised $16 billion for Democrats and their causes.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., sent compulsory demands for testimony from ActBlue's former vice president of customer service, Alyssa Twomey, and an unnamed senior workflow specialist.
Neither appeared voluntarily before the committees.
The subpoenas arrived after documents indicated Twomey oversaw ActBlue's fraud-prevention division over a period Republicans characterized as "fundamentally unserious" about fraud prevention. Documents assert that ActBlue reduce its standards twice in 2024, despite clear evidence of attempted fraud, some from foreign entities.
Internal documents provided to the committees include a training manual instructing ActBlue employees to "look for reasons to accept contributions" rather than evaluating donations skeptically. Other documents revealed ActBlue's awareness of vulnerabilities allowing illicit contributions to evade safeguards.
"Documents produced to the Committees indicate that you have been the top fraud-prevention employee at ActBlue," the subpoena stated, emphasizing Twomey's responsibility in the questioned period.
Republicans said obtaining testimony is crucial for considering potential legislative reforms, possibly including enhanced requirements for verifying political donations online and imposing restrictions on prepaid or foreign-issued credit cards.
ActBlue's legal team repeatedly resisted the committees' voluntary requests, citing concerns about interference with a parallel Department of Justice investigation of similar allegations involving fraudulent political donations online. Twomey's attorney, Danny Onorato, argued that his client needed clarity on the DOJ inquiry before providing congressional testimony, which Republicans rejected.
The subpoenas underscored congressional authority, highlighting Supreme Court precedents affirming Congress's oversight rights independent of parallel executive investigations. The committees dismissed ActBlue's First Amendment and equal protection objections, asserting Congress's broad powers to choose oversight targets.
"Congress may set the terms of its own oversight, compelling testimony in a time, place, and manner of its own choosing," the subpoena stated, rejecting suggestions that awaiting DOJ outcomes would not prejudice legislative efforts.
Republicans emphasized the investigation's legislative intent to prevent future election integrity breaches. Steil asserted that the inquiry aimed to create "rules and laws that prevent any abuse in the future," clarifying that it was distinct from the DOJ's criminal investigations.
The subpoenas compel Twomey and the senior specialist to testify on July 15. The committees stated clearly that the inquiry is necessary to craft legislation effectively addressing vulnerabilities identified within online political fundraising systems, reinforcing congressional authority to regulate federal elections comprehensively.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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