Several prominent progressive politicians, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, continue raising campaign funds through ActBlue as the fundraising platform faces congressional scrutiny over allegations that it failed to prevent illegal foreign donations from entering U.S. political campaigns.
The controversy intensified after an 88-year-old Michigan woman, Elizabeth Waffle of Milan, disputed nearly $150,000 in political donations attributed to her in federal campaign finance records during a viral interview. Federal Election Commission records attribute more than 16,000 political contributions totaling nearly $150,000 between September 2020 and June 2026 to Waffle. She acknowledged making donations through ActBlue but disputed the total amount attributed to her.
ActBlue has processed more than $19 billion in donations since its founding in 2004, making it one of the largest online fundraising platforms serving mostly Democratic candidates, party committees and progressive organizations. The platform describes itself as a grassroots fundraising tool that serves as a "counterweight to the dark money special interests that dominate our politics."
What the Right Is Saying
Republicans argue that ActBlue has become vulnerable to fraud and illegal foreign donations, with House committees conducting an ongoing investigation since 2023 into the platform's fraud-prevention practices. An April 2025 interim staff report cited internal ActBlue records showing the platform detected 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards during a 30-day period in late 2024.
The Republican National Committee says Democratic candidates should explain why they continue relying on ActBlue despite the congressional investigation and allegations from donors who say contributions were made in their names without their knowledge. "Democrats claim to oppose special interests with one exception: their own. They defend fraud and schemes like ActBlue because they know cheating the system is the only way for their corrupt campaigns to raise money," Ally Triolo, the RNC's election integrity communications director, told Fox News Digital.
House committees investigating the matter have described the pattern of foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards as a leading indicator of fraud. Key House committees have scheduled hearings with ActBlue's CEO and demanded the platform provide documentation about its compliance practices.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive politicians who continue using ActBlue have largely remained silent publicly about the controversy, though Sanders has endorsed El-Sayed's Senate campaign and his website directs supporters to donate through ActBlue. The platform processes donations for the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and thousands of other Democratic campaigns.
ActBlue has denied any wrongdoing and emphasized that the ongoing congressional investigation has not resulted in a finding that the platform violated campaign finance laws or been prohibited from processing political donations. Supporters argue that ActBlue enables small-dollar donors to participate in democracy and point to its role in fueling Democratic electoral victories across the country.
Progressive groups have defended the platform as a critical infrastructure for grassroots fundraising, arguing that attacks on ActBlue are part of broader Republican efforts to restrict Democratic fundraising capabilities. The platform provides fundraising, organizing, campaign websites, voter outreach and other digital tools for thousands of candidates and progressive organizations.
What the Numbers Show
ActBlue has processed more than $19 billion in donations since 2004, serving thousands of Democratic candidates, party committees and progressive organizations. Federal Election Commission records attribute over 16,000 political contributions totaling nearly $150,000 to Elizabeth Waffle between September 2020 and June 2026.
The April 2025 congressional interim staff report cited internal ActBlue data showing 237 donations from foreign IP addresses using domestic prepaid cards during a single 30-day period in late 2024. The investigation has been ongoing since 2023 but has not resulted in any finding that ActBlue violated campaign finance laws or been prohibited from processing political donations.
Among the politicians mentioned as continuing to use ActBlue, El-Sayed has been endorsed by Sanders and his campaign is highlighted on ActBlue's "Trending Campaigns" page alongside Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., Texas state Rep. James Talarico, Maine Senate candidate Troy Jackson and former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown. Other prominent users include Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, a gubernatorial candidate, and former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.
The Bottom Line
The controversy surrounding ActBlue remains under active investigation by House committees, which have not yet reached conclusions about whether the platform adequately prevented fraudulent or illegal donations. ActBlue continues to operate normally as one of the Democratic Party's central fundraising platforms while the inquiries proceed.
The case of Elizabeth Waffle illustrates broader concerns about identity verification in online political giving, though her specific situation has not been linked by investigators to foreign interference or deliberate fraud. The platform maintains it has robust safeguards and has cooperated with congressional requests for information.
What happens next: Watch for any findings from the ongoing House investigation, potential testimony from ActBlue's CEO before key committees, and whether additional donor disputes similar to Waffle's case emerge as scrutiny of the platform intensifies.