by Melissa Hallman
Congressional and DOJ Investigations Target Democratic Fundraising Platform
House Republicans issued subpoenas on Wednesday to two ActBlue officials for testimony regarding allegations of fraud on the Democratic fundraising platform, according to subpoena letters. The action aligns with a parallel Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation ordered by President Trump.
The subpoenas, issued by GOP chairmen of the House Oversight, Judiciary, and Administration committees, summon Alyssa Twomey, former vice president of customer service, and an unidentified senior workflow specialist. Both officials had initially agreed to voluntary interviews before Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi on April 24, 2025, to investigate alleged “straw” or “dummy” contributions on online fundraising platforms.
Danny Onorato, representing the ActBlue employees, requested that the interviews be delayed until the DOJ investigation concludes, citing potential conflicts. Committee chairmen Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), James Comer (R-Ky.), and Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) rejected the request, referencing court precedents that permit concurrent congressional and executive investigations. They argued that Congress has a duty to ensure online fundraising platforms prevent fraudulent or illegal donations, particularly from foreign actors.
Internal ActBlue records indicate the platform adopted less stringent fraud prevention measures during the 2024 campaign cycle, instructing employees to prioritize accepting contributions over scrutinizing them. ActBlue did not require card verification values (CVV) for transactions until January 2024. A House Oversight and Administration Committee report from March 2025 identified 1,900 fraudulent transactions on the platform between September 2022 and November 2024, including 237 prepaid card transactions from foreign IP addresses in September–October 2024.
ActBlue, which has processed $16 billion for Democratic campaigns since 2004,…
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