House GOP committees have recently issued subpoenas to ActBlue, a Democratic fundraising platform, in an effort to intensify their probe into the platform. The subpoenas come after ActBlue pushed back on the congressional investigation, questioning its intentions and constitutionality following a similar probe launched by the White House.
Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.), Bryan Steil (R-Wisc.), and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who lead the committees investigating ActBlue, issued the subpoenas on Wednesday to compel a current and former employee to testify about the platform’s fraud prevention policies. The employees had previously declined to voluntarily appear before the committee, citing the White House’s investigation. ActBlue had also sent a letter criticizing the investigation as partisan.
In response to ActBlue’s objections, the GOP lawmakers rejected the platform’s argument that the congressional investigation was influenced by the White House probe. ActBlue had characterized the investigations as a partisan effort to harm political opponents rather than gather facts for legislative purposes. The platform and its Democratic defenders have argued that any probe into foreign donations and online fundraising should also include WinRed, the largest Republican fundraising platform.
President Donald Trump had ordered the Justice Department to investigate foreign straw donations in online fundraising, citing the work done by GOP-led congressional committees. The new subpoenas issued by the GOP lawmakers argue that the congressional investigation is distinct from the Trump-ordered probe and that their committees have not shared any non-public information with the Justice Department.
ActBlue CEO Regina Wallace-Jones criticized the subpoenas as “political theater” and expressed concerns about the partisan nature of the inquiries. ActBlue had previously provided documents to the GOP committees, both voluntarily and under subpoena. The committees had requested voluntary interviews with ActBlue employees in April, but the employees had refused, citing the Justice Department probe.
The House Oversight Committee has also been investigating former President Joe Biden’s mental acuity while in office, amid a similar probe by the Trump administration. Rep. Comer has issued a subpoena to Biden’s physician and requested interviews with former White House aides.
Overall, the subpoenas issued to ActBlue by House GOP committees mark a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the Democratic fundraising platform. The outcome of the probe could have far-reaching implications for campaign finance legislation and the broader political landscape.
