Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., told Newsmax on Monday about how federal agencies, including the Federal Election Commission (FEC), appear to be oblivious to questionable campaign finance practices by ActBlue, a major fundraiser for Democrats.
ActBlue has been accused of employing a tactic called "smurfing," where large-scale donations are broken up in a way that disguises from where the donations originated. ActBlue also reportedly is being investigated by several states in relation to contributions allegedly made through the platform fraudulently without the reported contributor's awareness. Federal law prohibits contributions made in the name of another person.
Mark Block, a chief of staff and campaign manager for the late Herman Cain, filed a racketeering lawsuit Oct. 14 in Wisconsin against ActBlue, accusing the group of stealing his identity to make 385 donations to left-wing causes, including Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential PAC.
Plus, the House Administration and Oversight committees are investigating the group.
"This was uncovered by James O'Keefe back in March of 2023," Johnson told "Rob Schmitt Tonight." "We immediately wrote the FEC [and] we've been bugging them ever since: 'Are you even investigating this?' They won't tell us whether they're even investigating this."
Johnson said he raised the matter during a recent briefing by FBI Director Christopher Wray and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
"I asked them this question: What are you doing to investigate the smurfing?" Johnson said. "Director Wray seemed completely oblivious to it. The briefing was all about foreign influence on our election. I would say potentially pumping millions of dollars through ActBlue would be definitely foreign interference. And again, they're completely oblivious to it."
The Oversight Committee on Sept. 20 wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen requesting any Suspicious Activity Reports relevant to its investigation into ActBlue.
"That's how you investigate this," Johnson said. "This is how you track it down. It wouldn't be that difficult to investigate this, which again, just blows me away that the FBI is not on top of this.
"The FEC isn't, as well. … This is so clearly illegal. We've interviewed these individuals where people go up to their door [and ask] are you aware that you've given 5,000 donations worth tens of thousands of dollars? So, they're completely oblivious to it.
"And by the way, we're focusing on the foreign actors potentially here, but there's nothing to say that there aren't U.S. persons, as well. Some billionaires here that have figured out a way to break up massive donations into $5, $10, and $20 donations, tens of thousands of them at a time.
"Again, it's clearly illegal what's happening here. These are clear financial laws that are being broken here, and yet, you have the FBI director completely clueless, wouldn't answer the question. Director of National Intelligence. Haines. She kept her mouth shut when I asked that question."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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