Trump Takes Aim at Online Fundraising Fraud
In a decisive move, President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum aimed at curtailing the troubling practices of illegal straw donations and foreign contributions that have proliferated through online fundraising platforms, prominently including ActBlue.
This action comes on the heels of investigations spearheaded by Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI) and a coalition of Attorneys General from 19 states, notably Texas, Arkansas, Florida, and Missouri. These investigations have raised alarm bells regarding potential breaches of electoral integrity.
The memorandum underscores the seriousness of the issue, asserting:
Federal law (52 U.S.C. 30121 and 30122) categorically prohibits political contributions made in another person’s name and contributions from foreign nationals.
Despite these protective laws, various press reports and congressional inquiries have unveiled concerning evidence suggesting that online fundraising platforms have been complicit in laundering excessive and prohibited contributions to political candidates and committees.
Specifically, these reports indicate that bad actors may be attempting to sidestep federal contribution limits by splitting large donations from a single source into numerous smaller donations attributed to various individuals, often without the consent or even awareness of the actual contributors. This raises significant concerns about the use of “straw donations” facilitated by “dummy” accounts, potentially employing gift cards or prepaid credit cards to avoid detection.
Moreover, evidence suggests that foreign nationals are exploiting online fundraising platforms to improperly influence U.S. elections. A recent House investigation revealed that ActBlue had identified at least 22 “significant fraud campaigns,” nearly half of which had international links. In a single month of the 2024 campaign, the platform flagged 237 donations originating from foreign IP addresses using prepaid cards, highlighting the urgency of this issue.
These activities threaten the integrity of our electoral process. As such, I am directing the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to utilize all lawful authority necessary to investigate allegations surrounding the unlawful use of online fundraising platforms for “straw” or “dummy” contributions and foreign donations to political candidates and committees, and to take appropriate measures to enforce the law.
Furthermore, I am requesting the Attorney General to report back to me via the Counsel to the President within 180 days regarding the findings of this investigation.
This memorandum carries no intention to create any legal rights or benefits enforceable against the United States or any of its entities.
DONALD J. TRUMP
.@POTUS has signed an order to tackle illegal “straw donor” and foreign contributions influencing U.S. elections—prompted by reports and congressional investigations of potentially unlawful activities via ActBlue and similar platforms.
Here is the text…
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 24, 2025
Extensive reporting by has delved into the “smurfing” schemes identified by Peter Bernegger, Chris Gleason, Draza Smith, and their investigative team. Pioneering journalist James O’Keefe highlighted these findings, approaching individuals listed in the Federal Election Commission’s database who had seemingly contributed vast sums—often tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars—broken down into a multitude of minuscule donations, generally around $1.
These funds were subsequently channeled through ActBlue to campaigns for a range of politicians, including Mark Kelly, Raphael Warnock, and Tammy Baldwin, spanning from federal offices to local government roles.
President Trump is set to sign an Executive Order today targeting ActBlue.
ActBlue is a notorious money laundering mechanism for liberal politicians, but the implications extend further—allegations even hint at ties to terrorism funding! See the third image here: @immutablechrist @TheTVConsPiracy https://t.co/pR6hi9B1Vv pic.twitter.com/G0ARKGN3Ka
— Peter Bernegger (@PeterBernegger) April 24, 2025
The Why We Vote podcast from Badlands Media, released in November 2024, documents insights from Bernegger’s team, detailing how these funds are allegedly laundered back into the United States and disbursed to campaigns. Bernegger asserts that a considerable portion of these funds originates from taxpayer dollars sent abroad, with segments returning through gift cards and subsequently funneled to political campaigns via platforms like ActBlue.
With the Federal Elections Commission now inviting public comment on a rule change regarding credit card donation processing (which would require capturing the CVV number), it highlights our government’s inefficiency in addressing these issues… pic.twitter.com/wYD6aC3Mvq
— CannCon (@CannConActual) November 29, 2024
However, it’s important to note that this issue is not exclusive to ActBlue and the Democrats. Bernegger revealed last month on the Why We Vote podcast that even Senator Ted Cruz has received smurf funds through WinRed, the GOP’s answer to ActBlue. According to Bernegger, the distribution ratio is approximately 85% from ActBlue to 15% from WinRed.
Perhaps the reason Republicans are hesitating on ActBlue registration is they know they could be next.
WinRed appears to be operating similarly, albeit on a smaller scale (85% ActBlue to 15% WinRed). @PeterBernegger and his team uncovered this laundering of U.S. funds… pic.twitter.com/9yg7PD5KiG
— CannCon (@CannConActual) March 25, 2025
Recent reports indicate that ActBlue is experiencing significant turmoil, with seven senior officials resigning amid allegations of internal strife. The organization now relies on a solitary attorney, Zain Ahmad, for legal counsel, who has alleged retaliation for his whistleblowing efforts, stating, “Please be advised that we have Anti-Retaliation and Whistleblower Policies for a reason.”
As this memorandum unfolds, President Trump finds himself in a legal battle over his executive order regarding election integrity. It is likely that this memorandum will encounter similar backlash from non-governmental organizations that heavily depend on funding from these online platforms.
