LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The Democratic Party’s go-to donation machine, ActBlue, is facing fresh scrutiny after reports and congressional concerns over how it handles donations – including questions about potential foreign contributions and transparency.
Multiple national outlets have covered the controversy recently, including The New York Times – which first broke the story – alleging the platform may not have fully disclosed concerns tied to donor verification. ActBlue, for its part, has pushed back, insisting it complies with federal law and highlighting its role as a secure platform for small-dollar fundraising.
What ActBlue told Congress vs. what their lawyers warned.
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The Times reported that ActBlue’s law firm, Covington & Burling, warned in internal memos that the organization faced a “substantial risk” of receiving foreign donations after loosening its vetting standards. This is in opposition to the letter that ActBlue sent to congressional Republican investigators in November 2023 about carrying out “multilayered” screenings of their contributions in order to “root out” overseas donations. Federal election law bars foreign nationals and non- permanent residents from making direct contributions to federal candidates or political action committees.
Billions in blue.
ActBlue served as the dominant small-dollar fundraising engine during the 2024 election cycle (January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2024), processing more than $3.8 billion for Democratic candidates and causes, according to OpenSecrets data – cementing its role as the primary pipeline for grassroots donations across presidential, congressional, and down-ballot races.
Michigan’s Democratic lineup: powered by ActBlue.
When it comes to fundraising in the Great Lakes State, Michigan Democrats aren’t exactly diversifying their portfolio. Almost all of the gubernatorial candidates and 100% of the Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate hopefuls are plugged into the ActBlue pipeline to receive their donations:
Governor’s Race:
- Jocelyn Benson – Yes
- Chris Swanson – Yes
- Kevin Hogan – No
U.S. Senate Race:
- Haley Stevens – Yes
- Mallory McMorrow – Yes
- Abdul El-Sayed – Yes
- Rachel Howard – Yes
And then there are the rest of the candidates in the state – Democrats who are running for state House, Senate, judicial seats, and everything in between. In other words, if you’re clicking that “donate” button for a Michigan Democrat, your money is likely making a routine stop through ActBlue first – which many say is less of a campaign tool, and more of a financial toll booth leading straight to the Democratic Party’s political machine.
