House Republican committees have issued new subpoenas targeting ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform, as part of an intensified congressional probe. The subpoenas follow ActBlue’s pushback against the investigation, which it has labeled partisan and constitutionally questionable, especially after the White House initiated a similar probe. Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.), Bryan Steil (R-Wisc.), and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who lead the committees investigating ActBlue, issued the subpoenas Wednesday to compel a current and a former employee to testify about the platform’s fraud prevention policies. This move comes after ActBlue had previously objected to the congressional investigation, citing the parallel White House probe and the constitutionality of the proceedings.
ActBlue’s resistance to the investigation has been further emphasized in a recent letter to the committee, where the platform criticized the probe as a ‘partisan effort’ rather than a legitimate attempt to gather facts for lawmaking. Democratic allies have also raised concerns, arguing that any investigation into foreign donations and online fundraising should include WinRed, the largest Republican fundraising platform. The platform’s complaints have intensified following President Donald Trump’s order in April to the Justice Department to investigate foreign straw donations in online fundraising, citing the work of the GOP-led congressional committees. That probe is expected to continue into the fall, and ActBlue was the only company named in Trump’s directive.
In response, GOP lawmakers have asserted that the committee’s actions are well within its legal rights and that testimony from ActBlue could inform future campaign finance legislation. They have also stated that the House investigation is separate from the Trump-ordered probe, stressing that the committees have not shared any non-public information with the Justice Department. ActBlue’s CEO, Regina Wallace-Jones, has strongly condemned the subpoenas as ‘political theater,’ arguing that the Republican-led committees have not addressed the legitimate concerns about parallel inquiries across government branches targeting political opponents. ActBlue had previously provided documents to the GOP committees, some voluntarily and others under subpoena, but the employees balked at the idea of voluntary interviews in April, citing the ongoing Justice Department probe.
Republicans have often used their committee authority to scrutinize Democratic officials, including mayors and governors, and the House Oversight Committee is also examining former President Joe Biden’s mental condition during his presidency amid a similar investigation by the Trump administration. Comer has issued a subpoena to Biden’s physician and has requested that several former top White House aides appear before his panel. These developments highlight the deepening political tensions and the use of legislative oversight as a tool in partisan disputes, potentially impacting campaign finance regulations and the legal landscape of fundraising in the United States.